Under the Rain
by Besma0003
Summary: Kyoko is a reporter and Ren is a detective. They have a one night stand without knowing anything about each other and it results in some unintended consequences. Meanwhile, the city is experiencing a major crime wave and there is one especially dangerous killer on the loose.
1. Nightmare and Memories

Hello, everyone! This is a big project I'm undertaking but I'm excited about it. The story borrows characters from Skip Beat and uses their relationships with each other but the plot is entirely of my own making. There will be a few shout out scenes to the original work.

I debated over how to rate this. I'm going with teen. The romance scenes will be more than just a kiss and a blush but never explicit. This first chapter will be a good way to gauge whether or not you're interested in the romance. It is going to be the only one for quite a while. After all, Ren and Kyoko don't get along at first.

Genres: Romance, fantasy, suspense, drama - I'm labeling it as romance/drama for now but will probably change it once some things start to get revealed.

* * *

Kyoko was running through the forest as fast as she could. Each branch slapped across her face and limbs as she pushed past them. She was covered in scratches from the branches and bruises from falling.

It didn't matter what wounds she got. She had to keep running. That _thing _was coming after her. She didn't know what it was. It was big, white, and smelled like blood. The sound of it crashing through the trees behind spurred her on despite her wounds and shortness of breath.

Suddenly, there was a clearing. A small meadow with a wall of trees around it. _At least I'll have some space where I won't be getting branches in the face. _She thought to herself as she ran through the meadow which allowed her to pick up the pace. She was running as fast as she could when her foot fell in a hole made by a small animal.

Kyoko's body slammed into the ground and her ankle lit up in pain. _Is it broken? Or sprained? _She wondered. Either way, running was going to be impossible now.

She looked behind her in the direction of the beast crashing through the forest. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it. Taking a deep breath, she got up on her hands and knees to continue moving forward. If she was lucky, she would find a big stick she could use to help her walk.

Within seconds, the crashing noise of the animal pursuing her stopped. Fear struck Kyoko as she turned to look back again. There it was standing on the other side of the meadow on four legs: a big, white, furry beast with blood dripping from its fangs.

From her left, another one appeared. This one was a little smaller and jet black. _There were two?! Even if I had gotten away from the first one, I would have been caught by the second one! _There was no escape. One of these two creatures was going to eat her alive. Perhaps both.

At the sound of a bird startling in the forest, both animals bounded towards her with jaws open wide snarling.

Kyoko jumped out of bed, her foot giving away at the memory of her ankle injury. She collapsed on the floor in a panting heap on her stomach. Her eyes darted around her room while her mind tried to make sense of her surroundings.

She was in her small apartment. It was basically one room with a small bathroom. When one came in through the door, the kitchen and living room area were to the left and her sleeping area and bathroom to the right.

Only the bathroom had a door and walls. The other living spaces had no such thing. The kitchen had a long thin island connected to the wall opposite her that separated it from the living room. But that's as close to a wall as it got. She used the island as her table. It saved space.

The fridge and stove were along the same wall as the door. She didn't have a dishwasher. The cupboard space was more important and there was little of it. The space between her appliances and island was only a couple feet wide and not very long.

The living room area was depressed into the floor by about half a foot. It made the space feel a little bigger.

Her TV was against the same wall that the island connected to. She liked to watch it from her bed sometimes. It was one of the old ones that looked more like a thick box. She'd intentionally left it on last night to fall asleep to the white noise. The sound helped quiet her mind.

Her small couch was facing away from her allowing whomever to watch TV without the view of her bed.

The outside wall was to her right. It was half wall, half window. The window ran the full width of the wall with blinds to match. She lived on the 3rd floor of her apartment so peeping toms weren't much of an issue even without the blinds.

To the left was her bed. There was nothing special about it, just a normal twin size bed. Her cat, Jack, was laying on it cleaning himself. He was an orange tabby and her dearest companion. She only got him a couple of months ago. Someone in the building who moved out when she moved in couldn't keep him. So she offered to take him appreciating the companionship a pet would give.

On the other side of the bed was the bathroom and open closet. The bathroom was right next to the front door and jutted out into the room with three walls. It made a nice space for the open closet to the left of it.

She was in her room. Everything was how it was supposed to be.

_What? _She thought, _Was that all a dream? But my ankle…_ her hand reached down to check her ankle. Surely that injury had been real. It had certainly felt real, but her hand couldn't find any deformity.

Slowly, she picked herself up off the floor and sat on her bed. Out the window, she could see that it was still dark and raining outside.

_Can a dream feel so real? _Her mind was still reeling from the fear of being chased and the feeling of the pain in her ankle. But her body was uninjured, and she was safely in her room.

She stood up and walked over to the window to look out at the alleyway between her building and the next. The rain reminded her of a night 2 months ago. A night that changed her life.

She had caught her boyfriend cheating on her. She should have known. He'd been avoiding her for a few months. But they had grown up together, and she'd always loved him. She knew he didn't have the same strong feelings for her, but she hoped he had some feelings. Apparently not.

It had been raining that night too. She walked home from the party in the rain drunk too despondent to care about getting wet. After being thrown out of the party, she stopped at a bar and took several shots. Why not? At least the shots helped her feel silly for a bit. But the silliness gave way to depression as she continued walking.

Her heels were painful so she took them off and carried them in her hands as she continued barefoot.

Her dress was ruined. It had been ripped some by the guys who pulled her off her ex after she attacked him in a frenzy. Then the rain drenched it. It had been a pretty sea green. Not so pretty anymore.

Eventually, the rain turned into a thunderstorm with high winds. It wasn't a good idea to stay out in a thunderstorm so she looked around for shelter. An abandoned warehouse was nearby that she slipped into easily. The door wasn't even locked.

Some of the windows were broken but it didn't seem like glass littered the floor which was good considering she was barefoot. But the wind swarmed through the building making it a bit chilly. Rain pooled in the areas near the broken windows.

"Who's there?" She jumped and squeaked at the sound of a voice. She didn't expect anyone to be in here!

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize this space was already occupied. I'll head back out." She quickly turned back around and opened the door to leave.

"Wait," the voice said right behind her. "It's not safe to go out in that weather. This building is big enough for the both of us. I'm here waiting out the storm myself. No reason we can't share."

Kyoko turned to look at the man who appeared behind her. He was tall and lean with dark hair. He was just as drenched as she was. He looked like less of a mess in his jeans and t-shirt than she did in her ripped up party dress. She couldn't see much more about him. It was dark with minimal lighting coming in from the street lights.

"Thank you," she said, not sure what else to say.

"You can come join me over here if you'd like," he gestured back towards the direction she'd initially heard his voice from. "Or you can go find your own area to hang out."

The warehouse still had some furniture in it. None of it was in good condition. The desks were randomly spread around and were all beat up. Some had chairs, some didn't. Several boxes were stacked up in one corner.

Kyoko saw that he had taken some of those boxes and broken them down to sit on. "Why aren't you using any of the chairs?" She asked him.

"Oh," he chuckled. "I tried sitting on one and it immediately fell apart. I found myself hitting the floor rather hard on my backside. Figured I'd just make my own seat rather than risk that happening twice."

"Ah, guess I'll join you then," Kyoko said not wanting to risk having the same thing happen to her. That would probably be enough to make her burst into tears in her emotional, drunken state. And if she started, the tears weren't going to stop. No need to freak out her kind companion.

"Sit on the boxes I already laid out. I'll get some more for myself." He went over to the corner and grabbed a few of the boxes, breaking them down before bringing them back.

She was glad for the boxes. The concrete would have been cold and hard to sit on. Her aching legs and feet were glad for the rest. She had already been walking for at least an hour. She wasn't even sure what part of town she was in. Everything had been a blur as she walked aimlessly. In truth, she was lucky she didn't get hit by a car. With her drunk and not paying attention to her surroundings, it wouldn't have been surprising if she'd landed herself in the hospital. People weren't the best drivers around here.

Her companion made a seat for himself next to her and sat down. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Kyoko shivered as she replayed the events of the night in her mind. She was so excited to go on a date with Sho. It had been months since they'd really hung out. It had been all work and no play. She'd brought a condom along hoping they would have a chance for intimacy.

That hope went out the window as soon as she arrived. She found him with another woman. They were all over each other. Sho didn't see her at first. He was telling the woman about how he was going to break up with his plain, boring girlfriend and start a new relationship with her, the sleaze on his lap.

Something within Kyoko snapped and she attacked him.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she relived the moment and the pain. She had dedicated her life to Sho. Everything she had ever done since childhood was for him. To be thrown away so easily was unbearable. Who was she without him?

She couldn't stop the tears. But at least she was crying silently. Perhaps her new companion wouldn't notice. But as she continued to cry the pain grew and she started to let out a few sobs.

The man next to her said nothing. He just reached over and pulled her head into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. That was her limit. She couldn't stop the tears or the sobbing. She started full blown wailing. The sound of the storm would block anyone from hearing her from the outside, but this strange man letting her cry into his shoulder could hear her full force.

She didn't know how long the sobbing went on. Eventually, she quieted down and even her tears dried up. She laid there against her stranger's chest finally feeling like the storm inside her had calmed down and she was warm from his body heat. It was then that she noticed he was stroking her hair.

_For how long?_ Kyoko wondered. She had been so wrapped up in her emotions she didn't notice anything else.

She felt and heard him sigh as he stopped stroking her hair to rest his hand on her shoulder. "Please don't stop," she told him. "It's soothing."

"Okay," he said softly as he continued the motion of running his fingers against her hair. "Do you mind if I ask what has you out in this storm in a party dress so upset and a bit drunk?"

Kyoko grimaced slightly, "You could tell I've been drinking, huh?"

"It's pretty obvious," he told her. "You're not very steady on your feet. Don't worry, no judgment here. I've been drinking tonight too." He continued stroking her hair. "So?" He pressed. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but we are going to be here for a while. If you want to, you can."

Kyoko thought about it for a moment. She cried as much as she was going to. There was nothing left for tears tonight. All that was left was an emptiness in her stomach. An emptiness that she wished she knew how to fill. "I caught my boyfriend cheating," she told him. "And I overheard say him he was planning to break up with me anyway." The confession stung. It was embarrassing to admit how little she meant to someone who had meant so much to her.

"That's it?" The stranger asked. "Boyfriends come and go. You'll find another one."

Kyoko bolted upright from her resting place on his shoulder and punched him there. "What do you mean 'that's it?'?! I dedicated my life to that bastard. My whole life! Everything I've ever done was for his sake!" She yelled passionately at the man who was now rubbing his shoulder. "And now…" she faltered. "I don't know who I am without him in my life. I've never done anything for myself. I'm…just an empty shell." She finished despondently.

"You hit hard for such a small thing," he told her rubbing his shoulder. Kyoko smirked. She had always possessed physical strength above and beyond the rest of the girls around her.

"What about you?" She asked him. "You said you've been drinking tonight too. I've noticed the alcohol on your breath since you said it. Something must be getting at you too tonight to drink and come out in this storm."

His hand stopped rubbing his shoulder as he stopped to think. "A memory from a nightmare long ago," he said quietly.

Kyoko didn't dare press him on it. Whatever it was, it sounded a lot heavier than her breakup story. _And wouldn't you normally say a nightmare from a memory? _She didn't quite understand but also didn't feel like it was her place to understand. "So what now?" She asked as she slumped back into his shoulder. "We're just two miserable, drunk people out in the rain."

"Mmmm," was all she got in response as he continued running his hands through her hair like earlier. But this time he didn't just run his fingers against her hair. He ran them down her back too. She shivered at the touch as it sent a tingling sensation through her.

She pulled away from his chest to look up at his face. "You smell good," he whispered as he nudged her face with his. Kyoko's breath hitched in her throat. She was suddenly keenly aware of where his body was pressed against hers and how close his face was to hers.

Her body ached in more ways than one. It was sore from walking around barefoot all night, but it also ached from the understanding that this man desired her. She had been thrown away tonight, treated like trash. Even before tonight, Sho never really wanted her. She had known it but never wanted to admit it. The desire coming from the man pressing his face against her own was intoxicating. Someone wanted _her_. The girl everyone called plain and picked on. The girl nobody wanted.

She reached her hand up to touch his cheek before closing the space between their lips and kissing him. He had a strong arm behind her back and his hand behind her head pulling her into him. His need for comfort was as strong as hers. She arched her arm around his neck and pressed herself as tight against him as she could.

He had been leaning against the back of a desk this whole time but started to maneuver into a different position. He took his arm and hand off her to move so he wasn't pressed against anything. She felt the chill where the warmth of his hand and arm had been. When he was satisfied with his shifting, he brought his arms back around her and laid down with her on top.

His hands traveled her body as they kissed. He moved his hands along her back, over her butt, and down her legs as far as his long arms could reach. It wasn't just her back he explored. His hands moved along her front as well. Passing over her breasts and down her stomach. His slow attention was causing her whole body to light on fire in anticipation. She'd never been kissed like this before. Any intimacy with Sho had always been a quick rough and tumble, done in two minutes.

This was different and she was enjoying every moment of it. Her hands explored his body as well. She felt how toned he was, and he seemed abnormally warm. That warmth served perfectly on this rainy night with no heat or blankets.

Suddenly, he pulled his mouth from hers and wrapped his arms around her holding them both still. She heard a groan escape from him. "What's wrong?" She asked, gently kissing his neck. She liked how things were going and wanted to continue.

"If we don't stop now, I won't be able to." He told her. Kyoko thought about it for a moment, resting her head on his chest. She knew what he meant because she was already past that point. Slowly, she pushed herself away from him and found her purse. She reached inside to pull out the condom and went back to the man.

He was propped up on one arm as he watched her move around. She laid back down next to him hiding her prize. "We could continue," she said holding up the condom between her fingers in front of his eyes. He rested his hand on her side as he looked at her. It was too dark for her to clearly see his face. She could see the outline and his eyes. She could see his indecision there. She brought her other hand up to his face and pulled in close to kiss at his neck. He closed his eyes and groaned at her touch.

That was all the push he needed. He closed his hand around her's that held the condom and found her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her again pulling her into him. He had taken the condom from her and kept it as he rolled on top of her.

The sex she had that night was different than anything she ever had with Sho. Sex with Sho had always been about him and something of a duty for her to perform for him. Not so with this stranger. When he caressed her skin, it felt like he was caressing her heart trying to soothe the gash created on it earlier in the evening. And she tried to soothe him back to calm whatever it was that caused his pain.

As great as the night had been, it was only an encounter. After they laid together, they stayed snuggled in each other's arms for a while. But they had to return to the real world and go back to their lives. They parted long before the sun came up. She never got to see his face in the light. She wouldn't be able to recognize him if she saw him again. They never even shared names.

The bitterness of not being able to see him again made her feel like bile was rising in her mouth. _Wait no, that's real bile. _Her mind returned to the present as she made a mad dash to the bathroom.

She was getting sick a lot recently. She figured it was something she was eating and was trying to adjust her foods to figure it out but no luck. If the vomiting didn't suppress soon, she was going to have to go see a doctor.

But for now, she needed to get ready for work. She was up a little early but that just meant she could play with Jack some. Her wardrobe was meager, it was easy to pick something out. In the bathroom, she had light make-up supplies. She didn't have money for anything more. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she made breakfast. Breakfast consisted of two fried eggs and some fruit. It was the same thing she had every morning. The fridge had some leftover pizza. She threw it in her lunch box with a freezer pack and some chips. Simple and easy.

Jack laid on her bed sprawled out on his back. They were still getting used to each other, but he acted like he owned the place. She laid down next to him on the bed to pet him. He leaned into her caresses and closed his eyes. He loved getting his head scratched but would usually scratch her if she tried to touch his belly. So she knew better than to try even though his fluffy belly was very inviting.

As she cuddled with her kitty, she remembered the day after her one night stand with the stranger. Her anger exploded beyond belief that day. Sure, she was mad the night before and attacked Sho, but that was tame compared to how she felt the next day. She was in the grocery store picking up some hangover food (she had a minor headache from the drinking the night before) when she saw the breaking news on the TV. 12 missing children were found and Officer Sho Fuwa was the one to discover them. He was hailed as the city's hero in this time of a major crime wave.

Kyoko's anger exploded in the store. _He found them?! _She thought angrily. She worked with him every step of the way to find the kids. In fact, she did all of the work! She ran down all the leads, asked people around town what they knew, and went with him to the building where the kids were hidden before being sold into human trafficking. She even walked first into the building. He stayed safely behind her despite being the one with training and a gun.

That's what the party had been for the night before. The police force was celebrating the finding of the children. The kidnappers weren't there. They still needed to be found and arrested, but at least the kids were safe. She was supposed to be given credit along with him but he took all of it. He threw her away and then took credit for all her hard work.

Her anger exploded more than just figuratively. Something physically shot out of her while she was in the store. Racks of food and other items were knocked to the floor as she stood there seething. The walls and ceiling even had some dents. Other people in the store started panicking and screaming at the commotion. That brought her out of her blood rage, and she saw the devastation around her. She realized she was the epicenter of whatever had occurred and ran. Getting in trouble with the police was the last thing she needed. Sho would love to shove it in her face.

As she ran from the store (one she has never returned to since), she realized something was attached to her. She stopped running and looked at it shocked. It was a miniature version of herself that was attached to her by some type of supernatural essence. Whatever attached them together was clear, but when she looked through it the image of what was on the other side was distorted.

She had no idea what to make of this miniature version of herself. Since that day, she had come to learn that there was more than one. But only one appeared during normal activity. It was only when she was angry that the others came out. She had taken to calling them her grudge demons. Because if she saw Sho's face somewhere on a poster or on the TV, they would pop out ready to strike. The same reaction occurred if she just heard his name.

_He will pay for toying with me and throwing me out!_ Kyoko thought as she nuzzled Jack with her face. He was a big cat, not fat, but big. The vet said he was at a perfect weight. His fluff made him seem bigger than he was, but even then, he was solid.

She sighed as she pulled herself away from cuddle time with her cat. It was time to go to work. Since she had a knack for finding the kids, she decided to become a reporter. She enjoyed chasing down leads and working towards rooting out the corruption in the city. Today, they were going to be told about new assignments. She was excited to work on whatever her boss threw at her and headed out the door leaving Jack sleeping on the bed.

* * *

There are still some things I haven't made a decision on, like what to call the city they live in. But this is a good start for where I want the story to go. Think of the city as Western, gets a lot of rain like Seattle, and has major crime problems. I have to admit, I burst out laughing when I wrote the words crime wave. I immediately thought of Gotham which means Batman. And an image of Ren running around in a Batman suit hasn't left me. It's too great. I can't stop laughing about it. That's not where this story is going at all, but so much fun to picture.

If anyone would like to be a beta reader for this story, send me a message. My goal is to update once a week. If it starts taking too long for me to update feel free to nudge me with a message.

And I'd love to hear what you all think! My plan is for this story to be a bit darker than what I would normally go for but I can't get it out of my head.

Oh! And Jack is based on my cat Jack.


	2. Errands

Kyoko bolted through the front doors of work fleeing for the bathroom. _I'm not going to make it! _She thought as she scrambled down the hall and into the woman's restroom. She went through a stall door and just barely made it in time to throw up.

When she finished retching, she sat on the bathroom floor of her stall trying to catch her breath. _This has got to stop. _In the past month, she'd been sick only once every morning. It had always been just once. It was worrying that she had thrown up a second time in one day. Her affliction, whatever it was, was getting worse.

"Kyoko, are you alright?" Someone called into the bathroom.

"Yes," Kyoko replied. "Just ate something bad this morning. I'm fine now." She picked herself up off the floor and walked out of the stall. It was Rika Tachibana who was standing there looking worried.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You ran in here awfully fast and that did not sound good." She still looked concerned. Rika was new at the company like Kyoko. She had red hair and was a little on the plump side. Even though she had a little extra weight, she was more fit than the rest of them. She ran at least two miles every day for fun…not to exercise, but for fun.

"I'm fine, thanks," Kyoko responded. "I feel better now. Besides, we get our new duties today." Rika didn't look convinced, but she let it drop. The two girls exited the bathroom and headed for their desks. The office area was open. It didn't have any cubicles. Instead, four desks were pushed in a square. She had an empty desk to her right and Rika sat across from her. The person who sat diagonally from her was Kanae Kotonami. Kanae was tall and slender with black hair.

All three started work at the same time two months ago. They participated in a test in order to join the company. Several other people had as well, but they were the only three that passed. Lori, their boss, put together a puzzle across the city for applicants to solve. Only those who found the answer after a long line of clues and hunting and pecking around the city were admitted.

They had 4 desks in their open area. Rika, Kanae, and Kyoko occupied three while the fourth desk was empty. The girls each found their seat and logged in for the day. Kyoko checked her email. For the last two months, all she had been doing was running errands for the reporters in the morning and training in the afternoon. She hadn't been allowed to do any real reporting herself. Her seniors would either send her an email making a request of her or come by her desk in person. They usually used email. Due to the nature of their work, it was hit or miss whether or not someone was at their desk. They could be interviewing someone or tracking down a lead. Email always ensured that someone got the message even if they weren't available at the exact moment the email was sent.

Sure enough, she had three emails asking her to take care of things. One was asking her to pick up a package, another to check a pawn shop for an item related to what they were working on, and the last was to swing by the main police station to pick up a report. Kyoko sighed after checking her last assignment. These locations were all over town. She'd be busy running from one location to the next.

She might as well get started. The sooner she completed these tasks, the sooner she could get back to the office. In the afternoon, she'd get her first real assignment. Sort of. The three girls were going to separately shadow three people of importance in the city. They would each spend a week with one person, then rotate. The assignment was to go on for three weeks. When it ended, they'd have seen the city from three different perspectives. The exercise was to help them learn the ins and outs of the city and the different responsibilities of different offices. Afterward, each of them would write a piece to put in the paper, but only the best one would be published. They were competing against each other as well as learning.

* * *

Kyoko shoved her way off the bus. She already picked up the package from her first request. She was now on her way to the pawnshop. The reporter who asked her to look into it said he wanted to know if a certain kind of knife was available. There was a case in the courts that he was keeping tabs on. He thought the guy on trial might be innocent. The knife used in the crime was supposed to be unique but the reporter remembered seeing one just like it at the pawnshop. She had a picture and was to look around to see if she could find it.

The streets were crowded. They always were. The city was over packed. Kyoko picked her way through the crowds until she found the store she was looking for. As she opened the door, a little bell rang alerting the shop keeper to her presence. It was a typical pawnshop. Cases full of items that had value. Their owners selling them to get some needed cash.

Kyoko pulled her phone out as she looked along the cases looking for the knife in the photo she'd been sent. The blade was long and skinny, double-sided. The guard was a decorative silver vine and leaves. She'd never seen such a pretty knife before. The guard was silver but the rest of the handle was gold. It was plainer having only horizontal ridges going all the way down. It didn't have a special design but that just made the guard stand out more. Kyoko enjoyed looking at how the vines and leaves overlapped and connected.

"Can I help you?" She heard from the other side of the room. Looking up, she saw someone that must be the shop owner. He was an older man, starting to bald.

"Yes, I'm looking for a knife that looks like this one." She said holding up her phone to show the man the picture.

He moved closer to take a better look. "That's not a knife, my dear. It's a dagger." He told her looking at the photo. "And a nice one at that. I actually had a set of a dozen brought in last month. About half have already sold. Would you like to take a look?" He gestured towards one of the cases.

"Yes, thank you," Kyoko said as she stepped towards the case. There were six knives,_ no, daggers,_ just like the one in the photo. Her senior had been right. There were more than one of these daggers. She used her phone to take a picture of them altogether. That would serve as the proof he needed that the prosecution didn't have all the evidence.

Kyoko bid goodbye to the shop owner thanking him for his help. She headed for the bus stop so she could go to her next destination. There was some report on cold cases that another senior of hers wanted to write about. It was handwritten so it couldn't be emailed and the police station was too busy to scan every page into the computer.

The bus stop was only a block away. As Kyoko headed for it, she started to feel a little dizzy. She made it, but only just barely. She got on the bus, scanned her monthly pass, and found a seat appreciating the rest for her body. Her dizziness cleared up some sitting down. She still didn't feel all that great. _This day just keeps getting better and better. _She thought as the bus started down the road.

* * *

The ride to the other side of town took about an hour and she had to switch buses once. Thankfully, the stop was right outside the police station so she didn't have to walk far. She still felt a little unsteady on her feet.

Once inside, the first thing she wanted to do was locate a water fountain. Maybe some water would help her feel better. But as soon as she walked in a stench hit her. _What is that smell!? _Her stomach instantly started to threaten to make her hurl again.

The whole precinct smelled like rotten eggs. Very strong rotten eggs. Almost everyone in the building had a scarf over their mouth or a shirt pulled up over their face. Something had clearly gone wrong.

She searched for the water fountain holding her nose. She spotted it easily in a corner and went over to it. She could only get a few sips. The scent in the air caused her to gag, preventing her from drinking any more. She copied other people in the room by pulling her shirt up over her nose to try to block some of the smell. It only worked a little.

Kyoko walked over to the administration desk so she could get the report. "Hello, I'm with LoveME newspaper. I was sent to get a report on cold cases to bring back." She held out the badge the office had given her as proof of her identity.

"Ah, yes. I was told to expect you. It's in the paper archives. Unfortunately, you can't go back there without an escort. You'll have to wait a few minutes for someone to have some free time to take you." He told her apologetically.

"I have a few minutes. I can escort her," came a voice from behind her. Kyoko quickly turned around to thank whoever had spoken. She didn't want to have to wait around in this awful smell. She felt like it was going to make her throw up soon.

"Thank you very much!" She told the stranger and then her mouth dropped when she saw who it was. Ren Tsuruga was standing right in front of her. He was the most famous detective in the city. He came to town about five years ago and worked in homicide. He always found the culprit and the prosecution almost always got a conviction when he worked the case. Some claimed he once found a guy based on the smell left at the crime scene alone. The city was in awe of him.

Sho always hated him. Ren was in the limelight he wanted. Not only was he a great detective, but he was also handsome to boot. He was incredibly tall, 6'3" perhaps, with short, black hair, and a lean body. He was the city's most eligible bachelor.

With Ren around, Sho wasn't able to get himself known. That's why he decided to secretly investigate the kidnapping cases with Kyoko's help. He was hoping to solve it before anybody else and boost himself up over Ren.

Being face-to-face with the man that she had directed so much animosity towards for the sake of Sho put her in brief shock. Out of habit, her body wanted to feel anger towards him but her mind quickly realized she had no need to hate this man anymore. She was no longer affiliated with Sho and could do whatever, and feel however, she wanted.

* * *

Ren was looking at the young woman in front of him who was standing in shock. He overhead the administrator say she needed an escort to go into the records room and leaped at the opportunity. The records room was behind a closed door with a climate control system to maintain the paper documents. It wouldn't smell as strongly in there.

Some punk kid had come into the station earlier in the day and set off a stink bomb thinking it would be funny. No one else thought it was funny. He was detained and his parents were called to come get him. It was a harmless prank for the most part, but everyone in the building was suffering.

He wasn't around when the smoke bomb initially went off, thankfully. He probably would have passed out and that would have been embarrassing. His sense of smell was leagues better than the average person. The scent lingering in the air was causing him a headache and he didn't think he was going to eat for the rest of the day. His nose was completely preoccupied with the scent and couldn't smell anything else. He wanted to get out of the stench as quickly as possible.

"Shall we go?" He asked stirring the young woman from her shock and leading the way.

"Yes!" He heard from her as she fell in step behind him.

"Thanks, Tsuruga!" The administrator called after him.

"No problem," he yelled back as he quickly walked to the records room. He opened the door and ushered the young woman in.

"Phew, it barely smells in here," he heard her say. "I can sorta smell it, but not really. What happened to cause such a stink?" She asked him.

"A kid came in and set off a stink bomb as a prank." He told her. She was right, the smell wasn't as bad here thanks to the HEPA filtration and climate control. His headache started to ease. His nose still couldn't smell anything else though.

"Oh," she responded while looking at all the boxes on the shelves. "Do you have any idea where a report on cold cases might be?" She asked.

"Do you know the year or who wrote it? That'll make what you're searching for a lot easier." He put pressure on the bridge of his nose trying to ease the headache more.

"Um, let me see." She pulled out her phone looking for something on there. "It says here that it was written by Kuu Hizuri. I don't have a year though." She looked up at him frowning. "Will it be difficult to find?"

He couldn't help sighing, "No, I know exactly where that report is. I'll get it for you." It was one he was quite familiar with. "Why do you want it?" he called over his shoulder as he reached up for a box on a top-shelf.

"My senior asked me to get it for some report she's writing. I'm not sure of the details." She told him while staying out of his way as he pulled the box down and took out a folder.

"This is what you're looking for." He handed it to her and put the box back up on the shelf.

"Oh, thank you!" She told him while grabbing it. She looked at it briefly before putting it in her bag. "I guess I can go now and stop taking up your time…" Her face filled with a little dread. _Yeah, I don't want to go back out there and smell that stuff strongly again either._

"I guess there's nothing to do but face it," he told her while walking to the door. As he opened it, the scent hit him full force and he almost staggered backward from it. From behind him, he could hear her gasp as the smell hit her too.

"Ugh, that's awful." Ren could only grunt in agreement. They stepped back out into the main area of the precinct and Ren started walking her out when Vice Officer Fuwa walked into the building striding towards the back of the room. He heard an intake of breath behind him as the young woman he was escorting stopped. He looked back at her to see her even more wide-eyed than when she had laid eyes on him. He didn't think that was possible, but apparently it was.

Suddenly, her hand shot to her mouth and she turned a little green…_Uhh, this can't be good. _Ren thought as he slowly started to back up. Too late. She projectile vomited all over him.

* * *

Kyoko ran out of the police station as fast as she could throwing up again as soon as she reached some grass. Physically, she felt awful. Mentally, she couldn't be more embarrassed. She just threw up all over someone. Someone who had been nice to her.

She immediately apologized to him but that wasn't going to change anything. Especially since she had felt another round coming. Ren had apparently seen it in her face and told her to just go. She tried to protest that she would clean it up but the look he gave her sent her running. He had a reputation for being all sunshine and nice. She had no idea he could look that scary.

She was putting all her effort into not getting sick off of the smell. Seeing Sho walk by took her completely by surprise. She lost the tight control she was managing over her body as her anger flared and her grudge demons popped out swirling sinisterly around her, ready to attack. Then they lost all energy as soon as her body rejected the smell and sight in front of her. Next thing she knew she had thrown up all over Ren.

She stood there bent over, standing on the grass trying to catch her breath. At least she was done with her errands now. She could head back to the office and take some time to soother her body. She definitely needed to drink something. She hadn't been able to for most of the day. The sip from the water fountain was all she'd gotten.

The bus pulled up to the stop and she quickly walked over to get on. She felt out of it the whole ride back to LoveME. She wasn't sure how she was going to make it through the day.

The bus eventually reached her stop and she got off. In a daze, she found her way to the doors and walked inside. She took a few steps inside before passing out.

* * *

I feel like I cursed myself with this chapter. The day I wrote the rough draft my cat was sick. Then my baby and I have been sick over the last couple of days.

My husband has agreed to be my beta reader, and he has not read Skip Beat! before. His reactions are pretty great. My favorite is in regards to the grudge demons:

I think the grudge demons need a bit more  
time to be given some exposition. It seems like they could use some  
more description, and her whole reaction to them seems to be "Oh.  
That's a thing." which is a lot calmer than I would be if I realized I  
had a miniature version of me attached to me that came out when I got  
angry and started breaking shit. (I'd freak the hell out, and then I'd  
realize that that's F*CKING AWESOME. NOW I WANT THAT SUPERPOWER.)

I'd love to hear what you all think, the good and the bad.

My goal is to update every Friday.


	3. Test Results

"_Will you come with me?" She couldn't believe he was really asking her that. Of course, she would! She wouldn't dream of saying no. Sho was everything to her. Him asking her to go with him to the city was a sign that her feelings were finally starting to be returned. They would move to the city and live their lives together._

…

"_When will you be home?" She's asking him 5 months later. After finishing his training at the police academy he had been pulling long shifts. She never knew when to expect him, but she always did her best in between her two jobs to make sure he had what he needed while he was home._

"_Probably around 11 or so. I'll text you on when I'm on my way home." The hours were long but he was enjoying work. They had started sleeping together and she was always excited for when he was home at night._

…

"_Don't wait up for me. I probably won't be back tonight." That was happening more and more lately. They'd been in the city for a year now and he had been pulling away recently._

…

"_I want to surpass him!" Sho said seething a little over a year and a half into their time in the city. He wasn't able to get popular with another detective by the name of Ren Tsuruga around. Ren had become the epitome of all his frustrations. If only Sho could surpass Ren, then he'd be happy._

"_Kids have been going missing recently. If we can find them before anyone else, I'll finally be noticed. Will you help me, Kyoko?" Of course, she would. She would do anything to make him happy._

_No one could find any clues about the kidnappings. Children, poor and rich alike, were abducted with no ransom sent to the families. The authorities were stuck. It was assumed they were being taken to be sold into slavery. No other reason fit._

_She visited each of the sites where the children had been kidnapped during her off time. There was a strange symbol on the wall at each of the locations. It looked like some type of flower, but one she was unfamiliar with. She tried pointing it out to Sho, but he couldn't see it. For some reason, only Kyoko could see it, but it was at every spot a child had gone missing. She drew it in her notebook to see if she could learn more._

_Kyoko scoured the library and the internet looking for clues, but no one had ever seen it before. It was not in any myths or lore. She became despondent with her lack of results. The symbol was her only lead. If she couldn't learn more about it, she wouldn't be able to help Sho._

_On her way home from the library one day, she ventured into a part of the city she'd never been in before. It was a rundown area. The neighborhood used to house factories and their employees, but the factories had long since closed down. While exploring the area was when she saw it: the flower symbol. There had been no abductions in this part of town and yet there it was. She quickly called Sho and told him to meet her._

_He arrived in a half hour and together they walked into the building. Kyoko went first, the symbol was right next to a door as if inviting her in. They walked in and saw a rundown factory floor and conveyor belts full of cobwebs. At the other end of the room were stairs leading up to an office area. Slowly, they made their way over. As they climbed the stairs, they started to hear muffled voices. At the top of the stairs, outside a door, they could hear what sounded like children. Sho kicked down the locked door and a room full of shocked children turned to look at them. Immediately, several of them started crying recognizing his police uniform. Others bravely held back the tears._

_Sho called it in and the children were returned to their parents. The kidnappers were nowhere to be found. All the kids said they had only ever seen one man. He was tall with short, white hair and white eyes. Every morning he dropped food off for them to eat and then disappeared. He never even spoke to the children._

_A week later was the party to celebrate Sho's finding of the kids. Some of the parents were very wealthy and wanted to honor the man who saved their children._

_Kyoko was excited for him. His initial report said he stumbled upon the kids after speaking to the locals who said they heard the sound of children crying at night from the factory. At the party, he was going to announce her involvement, and she would be recognized beside him._

_She had to work both her jobs that day so she was going to arrive late. She quickly rushed home and changed into her party dress. For once, she had a reason to wear makeup. She never got to go to parties._

_She took a cab to the location of the party but had trouble getting in. Her name wasn't on the guestlist which was odd. Sho hadn't come home all week because writing the reports for the incident was taking up all his time. Since he hadn't seen her, it must have slipped his mind to add her to the list. No worries. She would find her own way in._

_A fire escape was located on the side of the building. The ladder was pulled up so she couldn't reach it. Luckily, someone had put a desk out for trash pickup the next day. She was able to push it over, climb on top, and reach the ladder. She made her way up to the third floor. There was no one in sight through the window. It was her safest bet to make it in and not get caught._

_She closed the window behind her after getting in. The forecast said it was going to rain. Thankfully, it hadn't started yet. She was still dry and looked great in her sea green outfit. She couldn't wait to find Sho and show him how good she looked._

_Kyoko found the stairs and went down to the second floor. There were more people on this floor. She asked around for information on where she might find Sho. Someone thought they saw him heading towards a back room somewhere._

_She went in the direction the officer indicated to her. As she got closer, she started to hear his voice but couldn't make anything out that he was saying. Goosebumps raised on her skin in anticipation of surprising him and showing off her outfit and makeup. She crept up to the door so she could make a grand entrance._

"_You're such a sight for sore eyes, Shoko." She heard him say just before bursting into the room. "I can't go back home anymore. If I do, I'll be affronted with the site of that plain, boring woman. I mean really! Doesn't she know how ugly and plain she is? She hangs off of me whenever I'm home."_

"_Isn't that rather cruel?" Kyoko heard a woman say. "Didn't you invite her with you when you left home?"_

"_Of course, I did. I wasn't going to do the chores around the house. I've never done that in my life, and I wasn't going to start now. She agreed to come along. She knew she'd be taking care of me. But now," his voice got lower, "I have you. I don't need her anymore. I plan to dump her tomorrow. And then she'll be out of my life for good."_

_Kyoko stood outside the door motionless. She gave him everything and left nothing for herself. But it was all for nothing. He never cared for her and was just using her. Kyoko's body moved without her noticing. Her hand clasped the door nob and slowly opened the door. It creaked as it opened causing Sho and the woman, Shoko, on his lap to look at her._

"_How dare you?" She said softly but loud enough for him to hear her. "I gave up everything to follow you and help you pursue your dreams."_

"_Gave up everything? I am your everything and always have been. You embraced what you wanted when you followed me. Don't blame me for not wanting to be part of your fairy tale." He told her disdainfully._

_The sanity within Kyoko snapped. She flung herself at him in a rage. Shoko jumped out of the way as Kyoko landed on Sho and the two fell to the floor grappling. Sho was stronger and had self-defense training. He quickly pinned her to the floor with her arms held behind her back. The noise of the scuffle brought other officers to the room._

"_Do you guys think you could get this crazy person out of here for me?" Sho said to the others while holding a struggling Kyoko down._

"_You bastard!" She screamed. "I will get you for this!"_

_The other officers in the room came over and dragged her up off the floor leading her out of the room. "Get me?" He said smugly. "You can't even reach me." He said closing the door in her face._

_..._

_The next day she was in the store buying some eggs, bananas, and watermelon. All of it should help her headache, dizziness, and sensitivity to the light. Getting drunk had been a bad idea. After finding the watermelon, she had everything she needed. She could finally check out and be in misery at home._

"_In latest news, the name of the officer who found the missing children last week has been released after a party in his honor last night. Officer Sho Fuwa found the children after hearing from locals' concerns about the sounds of kids coming from the factory." The announcer on the store TV said._

_Kyoko's back was turned to the TV. She hadn't heard it before. But at the name of Sho Fuwa she tuned in and heard every word. Rage exploded in her. SHE was the one who found those children! SHE was the one supporting him for the last two years while he struggled to make a name for himself! It was all her! Everything he was was because of her! There was no Sho Fuwa without a Kyoko supporting him._

"_I will make him pay. If I can build him up, I can bring him down." She seethed between gritted teeth._

_That was the moment the grudge demons were born. They came barreling out of her body slamming into the stands of food next to her. Groceries were knocked on the floor. The shelf to her left was pushed back a bit. There were holes in the ceiling and floor. Other customers in the store were panicking at the sudden attack._

_The sound of people panicking brought Kyoko out of her anger trance. She looked around seeing the devastation. All the damage centered around her. Kyoko dropped what she was carrying and bolted out of the store._

_She was almost back to her house when she realized something was attached to her. She stopped running and stopped to look at it. It was a miniature version of herself and a bit translucent. It had a sinister air about it that Kyoko felt kindred to her. This small creature shared her hatred of Sho. Together, they would take him down._

_Kyoko and her grudge demon smiled at each other thinking about getting their revenge together._

* * *

Kyoko woke up feeling filled with hate for the man who betrayed her and companionship for the little demons that shared her hatred.

As her eyes focused, she realized she wasn't in her room. She was in a hospital bed surrounded by white curtains. She could hear movement on the other side of the curtains. _Am I in the ER? _She wondered.

"Finally, you're awake." She heard from beside her. It was Kanai; one of the other rookies who started with her, and her best friend. _Even if she doesn't want to admit it. _Their relationship had been rocky at first, but they worked together during the interview trial to overcome enemies and obstacles. They now had a growing bond. "I was getting ready to leave even if you didn't wake up. I mean really, how long can you sleep for?" The slim woman with long, dark hair stated while glaring at her.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked. "The last thing I remember is getting off the bus and walking into the office."

"That's the last thing you remember because that's the last thing that happened before you collapsed. I was on my way out to get some lunch when I saw you go down. I called 911 and here we are. You've been out for two hours." Kanae looked annoyed but Kyoko knew better. Kanae wasn't good at expressing herself and was worried.

"Thank you for staying with me. Have the doctors said anything about why I fainted?" Kyoko asked her. She was sitting in her bed now and wanted to get on her feet. But without knowing what happened to her that could be a bad idea. She might end up on the floor again.

"Humph, they won't tell me anything no matter how much I ask. They said they would only speak to you about it," Kanae grumpily said.

"That's right," Said a voice walking into their curtain space. "It's doctor-patient confidentiality after all." The voice belonged to a woman. She looked younger than Kyoko and Kanae but was wearing a doctor's coat. "Speaking of which, I'm going to need to speak to Ms. Mogami alone for a bit, Ms. Kotonami. Go wait in the waiting room and she'll meet you there shortly." She said to Kanae stepping aside so she could leave the area.

Kanae looked over at Kyoko looking unsure. "I'll be fine," Kyoko told her.

"If you say so," Kanae said as she stood up out of her chair. She left the room giving Kyoko one last look back.

"Ms. Mogami," the doctor said finally addressing her. "My name is Dr. Woods, please call me Jelly. I'm an OBGYN." She stated while sitting in the chair next to Kyoko. "Do you know why it's an OBGYN talking to you and not another doctor?" She asked.

"Um…no. Are the other ER doctors busy?" _An OBGYN? Why would she be talking to her? _Her health was fine in that respect.

She chuckled. "Not quite. Your situation falls under my specialty. To put it bluntly, you're pregnant." Jelly paused a moment before continuing. "We did blood tests on you to get some insight into why you fainted. We had you hooked up to an IV for a while to re-hydrate you. It's the reason you passed out. It happens easily to pregnant women. Your body is going to need more water now."

Kyoko barely heard anything past the word pregnant. "How…" She managed to get her mouth to say. _There's no way. I've only had sex once in the past several months, and we made sure to use a condom!_

"I'm fairly certain you know how it works, dear," Jelly told her calmly.

"I know how THAT works obviously. But…but…how?! Are you sure the test result was accurate? Check again!" Kyoko demanded.

"We did. We did the test twice." Jelly calmly told her. "You're pregnant. Your friend was in here so we didn't check the heartbeat. You can decide if you want to tell her or not what's going on. But now that it's just us, why don't we check on that baby?" She stood up and pulled a few items out of her coat pocket.

"I'm not pregnant. There's no way! It's impossible." Her eyes were wide as she stared at the doctor trying to tell her she was mistaken.

"How about this, we check for a heartbeat. If we don't hear anything, then we'll do the test again. If there's a heartbeat, you're going to have to accept it." She had a fetal doppler in her hand and a container full of some strange goo in the other.

All Kyoko could manage was a nod. She couldn't believe what she was being told. "Now then, lay back down and lift your shirt a little. You'll also need to unzip your pants. Finding a heartbeat can be pretty difficult depending on how far along you are. The lower abdomen might be the best place to find it." She waited while Kyoko did as instructed.

She put the strange goop on her stomach and pressed the fetal doppler over it. She moved the doppler around her belly while it made a white static noise.

"Don't forget to breathe," Jelly said to her nonchalantly. Kyoko quickly let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She was so scared that she would find a heartbeat. _But she can't, there's no way there's one there._

All of a sudden the sound from the doppler changed. It was no longer a static white noise, there was a pulsing sound coming from it. Kyoko's eyes went wide in shock. "…is that…?" Was all she could manage.

"Yup, a healthy heartbeat." Jelly pronounced happily.

* * *

Jelly watched as the girl used a towel to clean the goop off her stomach and zipped her pants back up. Her face was in total shock. It didn't even look like her mind was working with her eyes vacant. When she finished cleaning herself off, she just sat there.

She gave her a couple of minutes to adjust to the news before trying to get her attention. "Ms. Mogami…Ms. Mogami?" She lifted her eyes to the doctor. They still looked vacant. "Is there a reason you find it so hard to believe you're pregnant or are you just overwhelmed by it?" Jelly asked her a bit concerned

Slowly, her mind worked. "Both…" she heard the younger woman say. "I've only had sex once in the past several months." She said shakily.

"Well, once is all it takes," Jelly said sitting back down next to the patient bed.

"But we used a condom," she said looking confused.

"Sometimes that doesn't matter," Jelly told her. "Condoms can be faulty. Either they get damaged with age or something wrong happened in manufacturing. It is rare for it to happen, but not unheard of." User error is more likely the culprit in these instances, but she didn't feel a need to include that information. Especially since she had no way of knowing.

"I guess…It was old. I've had it for several months, maybe a year." Kyoko offered up.

"They usually last longer than that. So maybe it was something else. It doesn't really matter though. The past can't be changed." Jelly said waving her hand as if to brush the matter aside. "How do you want to move forward?"

"How?…I…I don't know. I can't wrap my head around it…There's a baby inside me." Kyoko wrapped her arm around her stomach. "There was a heartbeat." She breathed out.

"Is the father able to support you? Or maybe the question is will he? I'm not sure what your situation is." Single motherhood was tough. If the father was able to step up to the plate, it would ease some of the burdens on her.

"Um…no, he's not able." Something flickered in her eyes briefly as she spoke but Jelly wasn't sure what it was.

"Do you have family who will support you?" That was the next best thing, sometimes better.

"No," another emotion passed her face. This time it looked like sorrow.

_I keep striking out. _"Do you want to keep the baby?" If she had no support, it might be the best option for her. Jelly didn't find it preferable, but this situation wasn't about what she wanted. It was about taking care of the young woman in front of her and making sure she didn't fall down a hole she couldn't get out of.

"Keep the baby?…I don't understand." Indeed, she looked confused.

"Abortions are an option in this day and age. You don't have to go through with the pregnancy." Jelly watched her face as she spoke.

"Oh," was the only reaction she got. It didn't look like she had positive or negative feelings towards the idea. "I don't know," Kyoko said after another moment.

"And that's fine, you don't have to know right now," Jelly told her. "We have to schedule an appointment for you to come to see me in the OBGYN office so I can do an ultrasound. That will help us to determine how old the baby is, and it will give you some time to think about it. How does that sound?" The young woman nodded her head. "Alright, here's the number you need to call when you leave." She said giving her a card. "The nurse you speak to will help you make an appointment at a time that is suitable for you. You can tell her you'd like an appointment with me, Dr. Jelly Woods, or a different doctor. This is your care. If you're not comfortable with me, feel free to seek medical attention from someone else. It won't hurt my feelings any. Do what you need to do."

Kyoko took the card from her and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered as she got off the bed.

"No problem. When you check out, the nurse will give you some paperwork with information on dos and don'ts while pregnant. At the top of that list is staying hydrated and eating regularly." Jelly said pointing at her. "I don't want to see you in here again because you passed out. It's important to take care of yourself. When you come into the office for an ultrasound we can go over it more." Jelly thought a moment before adding, "Oh, and there is another option for you. There is always someone looking to adopt a newborn."

"Yes, ma'am," Kyoko said weakly as she walked out the door.

_I hope she'll be alright._

* * *

Kanae was getting anxious. Kyoko had been with the doctor for a while now. _She should be done speaking to her by now. Where is she?! _At that moment she saw her friend walk down the hall up to the nurse's desk. Kanae waited until she was done before heading over to her. She didn't want to invade her privacy. She wanted to know what was going on, but she wouldn't overstep bounds to find out.

When Kyoko walked away from the check-out nurse, Kanae noticed her face and gait. The woman looked absolutely defeated. Panic raised in her as she quickly walked over.

"Kyoko," she called out. "Is everything okay? You were in there for a while with her." She reached her friend and waited for an answer. Kyoko looked at her lifeless and just nodded. "Well, what did she say? Why do you look like you have the life sucked out of you?" She was really worried now.

Kyoko kept walking to the doors leading out of the hospital. "She said I'm anemic and that I was dehydrated. My own carelessness caused me to faint." That was a lie. Anemia and dehydration wouldn't cause this kind of reaction in her.

"Don't lie to me. You wouldn't look like the life had been sucked out of you if it was just anemia and dehydration." The lie made her angry. _How stupid does she think I am?! Of course, there's more going on!_

"Please," the girl pleaded. "I'm not ready to talk about it right now…I need some time to think." Kanae was a little hurt but she understood. Whatever the news was it was overwhelming. It was only fair that she needed some time to process it.

"Fine, but you have to promise to tell me what's going on once you've come to terms with whatever it is." She demanded.

"I can do that," Kyoko assented. "I can see the bus pulling up. I better go catch it." And with that, her friend was gone.

* * *

As soon as Kyoko got home, she flung herself on her bed and cried. Jack came over nuzzling her, asking for attention. She didn't notice. She was too absorbed in her thoughts.

_The shame! How can I be pregnant?! And I don't even know the father! We never exchanged names. I have no way to contact him. Originally, I thought the sex we had that night was soothing for my soul after being so coldly rejected. But now I see it was just another reminder that love, and anything having to do with it, is evil! Never! Never again will I be seduced by the 'sweet' feelings of love and affection. I hate who I am when I have those emotions. I'm foolish, disgusting, and shameful! I never want to make a fool of myself because of love again!_

_But even if I do that moving forward, that doesn't help me now! I'm already pregnant. What am I going to do? I can't care for a child. I can barely care for myself. And on top of that, I'm not fit to be a mother. I have nothing to offer._

Memories of Kyoko's own mother and her constant rejection of her child-self flitted through her mind. Her mother hated her so much she abandoned her with the Fuwas. No, she had no understanding of what a mother's love looked like. She couldn't be a loving mother. Any child of hers would suffer.

_What am I going to do? _She thought to herself as she fell asleep from emotional exhaustion.

* * *

Ren slowly got himself ready for the day. His mind was on his dreams. His dreams had been about that night 2 months ago when he'd wandered around drunk. Having drunk sex definitely was not smart, but they were both in need of comfort. She had just been through a cruel breakup and him …well, it was the anniversary of the worst day of his life. He usually got drunk that day every year. It just didn't usually end with sex with a stranger…Well, not anymore. He'd long outgrown the years of being a deviant and sexually promiscuous. _Or at least, I thought I had._

He walked over to his closet to pick out an outfit for the day. He sighed when he remembered the events of the day before. The smell of the stink bomb stuck to his clothes. Even worse, he had been puked all over. He wasn't sure which smell was worse. On the way home last night, he dropped his clothes off at the dry cleaners to let them take care of it.

After he got dressed, Ren turned his mind from his dreams to what was ahead for the day. He was assigned to have a shadow for three weeks. Each week would be a different person. Lori over at LoveME told him to participate in the program. He wanted his rookies to shadow a detective and learn how things worked around the city.

_I wonder who I got stuck with first? _He should have met them yesterday, but Lori called at the last minute and told him they'd have to reschedule the meet and greet to this morning. Something happened, and the rookie reporter wasn't able to make it. He'd swing by LoveME this morning to pick up whoever it was before going to work.

Hopefully, the rookie didn't drive him crazy. They would be together for a week before he got a new shadow.

* * *

Thanks for all your reviews! It's great to know that you are loving the story even though there are only a few chapters out. All the exciting stuff hasn't even happened yet.

Himawari: I thought about how he might like the original work. That would be cool. I'm not sure if he would though. I'm not sure if it's his taste.

Guest: Glad you loved it! Ren's recollection is coming. Not next chapter but one or two after that I think. As far as the superpowers go, I don't think I'm going to include Kyoko's ability to analyze bodies. It doesn't really have a place in this story. I'm not going to have her make dolls and it isn't going to apply to recognizing Ren either. More details to come on why later :). And even if she does have that ability in this story, they were drunk that night and never even saw each other's faces. It would be fare for that ability to not work so well. And apparently I didn't write the police station scene last chapter well enough. Ren couldn't smell her because of the stink bomb, even in the environment controlled room. His nose had been too overpowered.

Lashun316: correct

H-Nala: Not long at all haha

Thanks for reading and I love all your feedback!


	4. First Body

Kyoko's alarm woke her the next morning for work. Thankfully, she set it to go off every day of the week. She wouldn't have thought to turn it on herself last night. She fell asleep while in a ball of depression stressing about what to do.

Speaking of stressing about what to do, _What AM I gonna do? _She thought bolting upright in her bed. Jack had been sleeping next to her and was flown to the side from her sudden movement. He gave her a meow in protest to the offense.

She was pregnant. That was an unavoidable fact. She didn't know the father. He might as well not exist. The shame of getting pregnant outside of marriage was immense. But her situation was even worse. She got pregnant from a one night stand. A one night stand with a stranger she didn't even know how to contact.

Kyoko's body flushed with heat from embarrassment. _How am I going to face anyone? _No one would want to have anything to do with her once they found out what she'd done. Mr. Takarada would probably fire her.

The number one person who absolutely could not figure out she was pregnant was Sho. If he found out her new secret, she would drop dead immediately. It would be too much to bear.

Kyoko sighed and pulled the blankets off of herself slowly moving towards getting out of bed. She had to get ready while thinking. Otherwise, she would be in bed all day thinking and would never make it to work.

Her first job was to prevent anyone from finding out she was pregnant. Kyoko went into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing her clothes from the day before. Once she removed her outer garments, she stood in front of the mirror in just her bra and underwear.

She turned side to side inspecting her belly and the surrounding area. It wasn't yet noticeable that she was pregnant. Her stomach did seem to be bulging a little but that could just be from bloating. No one should have been able to guess yet what was going on with her. If she wore her clothes right, she might be able to avoid anyone from finding out.

Kyoko walked over to her open closet to see what she had to wear. There wasn't much for concealing a growing belly. She would have to go to the thrift store and pick up a few new pieces of clothes. For now, she had a cardigan that she could wear over a shirt to help hide her bloated stomach. Since it often rained in this city, wearing baggy clothes for warmth would not seem out of place.

After grabbing the clothes she wanted to wear for the day, Kyoko hopped in the shower. _I can hide my pregnancy, at least for now. But that still doesn__'__t tell me what I__'__m going to do about this situation. _She turned the water on as she continued to think.

She couldn't keep the baby. It wasn't an option. Motherhood was not something she could do. Any child of hers would grow up miserable. She didn't want to inflict that on another person.

Dr. Woods had mentioned abortion. Kyoko cringed at the thought. She had no place raising a child, but that didn't mean the child needed to die. It wasn't the poor baby's fault that she was a big, fat idiot who was too easily swayed by emotions. No, she wouldn't punish the baby for her mistakes.

If she knew who the father was, she could contact him. He might want to raise the baby or have family raise the kid. But she didn't know him. Out of all of her options, it was the biggest no simply because of her lack of ability to follow through.

One other option had been mentioned during her visit to the ER: adoption.

Kyoko turned the water off to her shower as she contemplated that option. If she went that route, the baby would live and get to have parents that loved him or her. _It is the best idea but not without challenges. S_he thought as she grabbed her towel and stepped out of the shower drying off.

Giving the baby up for adoption would mean going through with the pregnancy. _Can I hide being pregnant when I get further along? Just how big will my belly get? _She wondered looking again at her stomach. _Maybe I can make people think I__'__m just getting fat? _Kyoko shivered at the idea. No woman wanted to be fat. To intentionally give people that impression was counter woman as far as she was concerned.

_But what other option do I have? I doubt I can hide gaining weight. _Kyoko quickly got herself dressed so she didn't have to look at her time bomb of a stomach anymore.

Jack was waiting for her outside of the bathroom. He sat there meowing expectantly. "You want to play, huh?" She asked him. It wasn't really her he wanted to play with. Kyoko summoned her grudge demon by picturing Sho mentally for a brief moment.

One little grudge demon manifested itself tethered to her. Jack did a strange half meow before pouncing at the grudge demon. The two went at it while Kyoko walked over to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Jack loved the grudge demons. That first day when she came home after they manifested at the store he acted like they were nothing new. It was as if they had always been part of the household. He gave the one still manifested a sniff and they immediately started playing. Ever since he would beg to play with a grudge demon when the mood struck him. The grudge demons apparently loved it as well. They were all too happy to oblige.

The two rolled around the big room pouncing and jumping around while she ate her breakfast. _Adoption and full-term pregnancy__… _That was the direction she was leaning in. It wasn't very appealing, but she liked the idea more than she did any of the others. Perhaps Dr. Woods could help her with concealing her pregnancy for as long as possible. No doubt people would find out eventually, she didn't know what she'd do when that time came. _A few months might be long enough for me to make a name for myself__…__Perhaps if I become well known, my transgression of pregnancy will be forgiven. _It was a hopeful idea even if it was a long shot.

* * *

Ren felt disoriented. His sense of smell was a huge part of how he made sense of the world around him and it was completely gone. He hadn't been able to smell anything all morning. Losing his sense of smell felt as damaging as losing his sight or hearing.

The stink bomb from the day before must have fried his sinuses. _How long before I can smell again? _It made him nervous to be down a sense. It could impact his work. _I__'__ll just have to compensate with my other senses and my wit until it returns._

He was driving to LoveME to pick up his shadow. He really didn't want to participate in this shadow program, but he couldn't say no to Lori. He owed the man too much.

Ren reached the parking lot to the building and parked his car. The weather was overcast today. He quickly checked his phone to see if it would rain. It often did, but sometimes overcast was just overcast. _Damn, a rainy day. _His phone confirmed it.

He put his phone back in his pocket and got out of the car. At least, it wasn't raining yet. Ren walked into the building to find Lori. He would introduce him to the rookie and he could get his day started.

* * *

Kanae was anxious to see Kyoko this morning. She had let her friend go yesterday without forcing an explanation out of her but she wanted to know what was going on today. The doctor had told her something really heavy. Something that had weighed on the girl as if the world was going to end. Several different options of sicknesses had run through her mind: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and anything else she could think of that would cause fainting.

Kanae walked into work trailing behind a tall man with dark brown hair. She went to the direction of her desk. She noticed the man went to Lori's office. _Is he one of the people we__'__ll be shadowing? _Since she had taken Kyoko to the hospital she had also missed out on getting to meet who she was shadowing for the week. Whoever she was going to be working with was going to show up this morning. Rika had met her person yesterday. Kyoko and Kanae would start their assignments today.

She was standing by her desk contemplating the man she saw head to the boss' office when she saw her friend walk in. Kyoko didn't look so pale and terrified this morning. It did, however, appear like something was stressing her out. She waited until the other woman got closer before calling out to her.

"Kyoko, you will tell me what happened yesterday." She stated at her friend with a no-nonsense tone.

"Um, it really was just dehydration. See, I have a water bottle with me today," Kyoko said while holding up a company water bottle. It had the LoveME logo on it and was hot pink.

"That's not what you said yesterday. You said you needed time to think about it before you would tell me. Well, you've had time to think. Spill." Kanae demanded as she folded her arms leaning up against her desk.

"Ah," Kyoko stammered. She looked flustered as if she didn't know what to say. _Why won__'__t she tell me?! Doesn__'__t she like to say I__'__m her best friend?_

"Kanae, Kyoko," their boss called walking over to them. "I have a couple of people for you to meet," he said while gesturing to two people trailing him. _I thought so_. One of the people behind him was the tall man she saw walking into the building. The other was younger and only slightly taller than Kanae. Kanae herself was tall for a female. Just because the guy was only a little taller than her didn't mean he was short.

He had black hair and brown eyes and looked young, but that didn't mean much. Kanae had siblings who looked several years younger than their age. That's probably what was going on with this guy.

Kyoko gave an audible sigh at the interruption. Kanae glared over at her to say with her eyes, "this discussion isn't over!" But she would have to let it drop for now. It was time to work.

"Kanae, this is Hiou Uesugi. He is the mayor's grandson. It is the mayor himself you will be shadowing but you will be working closely with Hiou so he is the one who came to get you. Hiou, this is Kanae Kotonomi." Kanae eyed the young man not sure what to think. _I__'__ll be shadowing the mayor? That__'__s a huge deal! _She was excited at being able to work with someone who was so high profile.

"Kyoko, this is Ren Tsuruga. He is a homicide detective in the 10th precinct. You will be working with him for the first week. Ren, this is Kyoko Mogami." Kanae watched her friend as the introductions were said. She didn't look happy. In fact, she looked a little green. Ren didn't look too pleased either. _Have they met before?_

"Now," Lori said clapping his hands. "Since you all know each other, it's time for you all to head out." With a typical Lori Takarada flourish and twirl, he dismissed them and headed back to his office.

"Ms. Kotonami, why don't we go then?" Hiou said to her. He looked impatient to get going.

"Right," Kanae responded and followed Hiou out. She looked back at Kyoko to see her and Ren both still grimacing. Then all of a sudden Kyoko went into a deep bow as if apologizing for something. _She has A LOT of explaining to do later._

* * *

_Just my luck, _Ren thought to himself as he drove to work. The rookie he was to work with was the same woman who had puked all over him the day before. As soon as everyone else left, she had immediately apologized for it.

_I guess I can__'__t hold it against her for being sick. That__'__s not really something you can help. Still__…__I don__'__t need a repeat. _Kyoko had told him she was feeling better. But she looked so awful the day before he didn't know how she could be feeling better already. But it wasn't his business so he let it go. _So long as the contents of her stomach stay in her stomach, I don__'__t care._

She was in the passenger, front seat of his car while he drove to the courthouse. The first thing he had to do this morning was testify for a case he worked previously. The case was a slam dunk. They had all the evidence needed for a conviction, but it was always necessary to have the leading detective of the investigation testify. It was tedious but part of the job.

"Have you ever sat in on a trial before?" He asked her. There were certain etiquette rules that needed to be followed by everyone in the courtroom.

"No, but I understand the basics. Reporters often sit in on trials so training on the dos and don'ts inside the courtroom is one of our first lessons." Kyoko told him.

"Good. We'll be sitting in the observer section together until I get called to testify. While I'm sitting next to you, write down anything you want to say. Don't try to whisper. This particular judge really hates it when people try to talk in his court if they're not part of the trial." Getting kicked out before having a chance to testify would be a serious mark on his reputation and could throw an easy case.

"Got it." She said determinedly. "I can't imagine wanting to ask anything during the trial, but I'll have a notebook out anyways for taking notes."

Ren nodded in response. Even though they'd had a rocky start the day before, it seemed like they'd be able to get along just fine.

* * *

Kyoko watched Ren as he gave his testimony. He was concise, providing exactly what the DA asked of him. He never provided more information than what answered the question. She would have to ask him about that. Several times he could have elaborated his answers so that the DA wouldn't have to ask him for more details, but he always gave just enough details to answer the question at hand.

From what she could tell, it was an easy case. Ren described his investigation process and how the evidence fit together. He had been called to the scene of the murder during the night. It was a street mugging gone wrong. The defendant panicked when his target fought back. The victim grappled with him for the knife. They fell down together. When they landed, the knife had found its way into the victim's chest. The defendant was being charged with manslaughter. It was an easy conviction since his blood was at the scene and he had been caught fleeing the area on a local store security camera.

It was odd for this case to go to trial. It should have been settled outside of court with how much evidence they had. There was no way the man wasn't going to be convicted and yet he was sticking to a plea of not guilty. His lawyer was a normal public defender. It wasn't like he had the money to hire someone fancy who could outmaneuver the system to help out his client.

She would ask Ren his thoughts after the trial. For now, she watched and learned. After the DA questioned Ren, it was the defense's turn. They asked him a few questions, nothing major, and then Ren was allowed to take his seat. After another 20 minutes, the court took a break and they were allowed to leave.

Once in the hallway, Kyoko started asking her questions. "Why wasn't this case settled out of court? Wouldn't people normally plead guilty with this much evidence against them?" Kyoko asked turning to Ren who was walking beside her.

"I'm not sure. It's happening more and more though. Cases that should be settled outside of a trial go to trial instead. Sometimes, it goes in favor of the defendant and they aren't convicted. It hasn't happened in any of the cases I've worked yet, but I know some detectives who have had to deal with it. Investigations they felt had a clear guilty party not ending in convictions. It's been frustrating for several people," Ren explained to her as they walked.

Kyoko took in the information as they walked. It didn't make any sense, but perhaps she would learn more as she continued to work in reporting.

"I was also wondering about the way you answered questions on the stand. Wouldn't it have been easier to say everything all at once instead of forcing the DA to drag the details out of you?" She asked looking up at him.

"Easier, perhaps. Smarter, no." Ren told her. He must have seen the confused look on her face as he chuckled before continuing. "The courtroom technically belongs to the judge, but I belong to the team of the DA. I only say was she wants me to say."

"Why wouldn't she want you to say everything?" Kyoko asked.

Ren thought a moment before continuing. "Let's say the blood of another person was found at the scene of the crime. Now, I'm a good detective so I would have followed up on the evidence. Let's say that blood was from an earlier incident and not related to my case. It would have no bearing on the guilty party, but it could still be used by the defense to poke holes in the slam dunk case the DA is trying to portray." Ren stopped walking to explain further. "While on the stand, the DA wouldn't ask me about the other DNA as she would already know it wasn't related. But a good defense lawyer would bring it up on cross-examination and I would have to explain the origin of the extra DNA and why it wasn't relevant. A bad defense lawyer won't have read all the police files and might not know about it. If I offer that information while on the stand, they have a chance to pick up on it and make a big deal out of it. I only answer exactly what the DA asks of me so that I only give the details she wants. It also serves as a bit of protection. I spoke with the DA last week about this testimony and we went over all the details. Detectives are human and can make mistakes just like anyone else. Let's say I left a detail out of my report. I didn't consider it important and so forgot about it. If I were to bring that detail up while on the stand, a good defense lawyer would pounce on it and say my word can't be trusted as I didn't include that information in the report. The DA only knows what's in the report and what we talk about verbally. She didn't do the investigation with me. If I follow her lead on the stand, she'll guide me to talk about only what's in the report decreasing the chance I'll mention some stray thought I had during the investigation."

It was a long-winded explanation but Kyoko understood. There was a certain mental picture the DA was trying to paint in the courtroom and the defense's job was to poke holes in that picture. Ren's job was to help the DA craft the picture so that it was harder to poke holes in it.

As Kyoko was digesting everything he said, a loud door slamming down the hall caught her attention. She instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. Immediately, her grudge demons came out swirling around her.

Officer Sho Fuwa exited the room of the slamming door and was walking away from them. Clearly, he hadn't seen her. But that didn't matter, she had seen him and her rage kicked up on site.

"What is it with you and him?" She heard from beside her. She forgot Ren was there. The sight of Sho consumed her mind and pushed everything else out. "Yesterday, you reacted strongly to him as well right before you threw up on me."

Kyoko's cheeks tinged pink slightly at the memory of that embarrassing incident. But the embarrassment disappeared as thoughts of Sho filled her mind. "He's a bastard." Kyoko seethed while glaring down the hall at the man's back. "I became a reporter so that one day I can publish a story that thoroughly embarrasses him and brings him down." Kyoko gave a sinister smile at the thought of one day achieving her revenge on the man who wronged her.

Her joy was short-lived. Her grudge demons suddenly stopped swirling around her and gravitated towards the menacing aura next to her. Kyoko looked at Ren to see a dangerous expression on his face.

"You became a reporter for revenge?" He asked her in a low voice.

Kyoko almost yelped at the threat in his tone. But she wasn't going to back down on this. Sho was her prey and she would do anything to take him down. "Yes," she nodded resolutely.

"I see," he said as the dangerous look on his face transformed into a radiant smile. The smile was misleading. It was glittering and clearly meant for putting people at ease, but Kyoko could feel the menace behind it. Plus, her grudge demons were swirling around him soaking up the anger radiating off of him like Jack sunbathing in sun rays. The man was beyond angry and she had no idea why. Behind that misleading smile was the dangerous face that had been visible moments before.

Before the conversation could continue any further, Ren's phone rang. He gave her one last dangerous smile before answering and walked away a few steps for some privacy.

_Phew, _Kyoko breathed. _That__'__s the second time I__'__ve been saved by chance today. _Kyoko took the opportunity to step away from Ren to look at a picture in the hallway. It was a photo of the original courthouse that had been built in this location 100 years ago. It had been rebuilt since then, but it was interesting to see the level of development from back then till now.

"Ms. Mogami," Ren called at her. "It's time to go. There is a new murder case to investigate." He quickly turned on his heels and left without checking to make sure she was following him.

* * *

The whole car ride to the fresh crime scene was silent. Ren didn't speak a word. His whole demeanor towards her changed. He was friendly before. Now, he acted like her existence was a thorn in his side. The downpour outside just made the atmosphere more depressing.

Ren pulled up to a house and parked the car. "This is the place," he said before getting out of the car with an umbrella. He was keeping his interactions with her as short as possible.

Kyoko got out of the car and looked around briefly. She didn't have an umbrella and didn't want to hang out in the rain for long. There were officers keeping a perimeter and going in and out of the house. She followed Ren inside and bumped into him when he suddenly stopped just inside the foyer as he closed his umbrella.

He turned to look back at her briefly as he said, "Most people can't stomach it the first time they see a dead body. Be sure not to throw up on anybody this time." He quickly turned forward and walked into another room leaving her standing there.

She already threw up once today right before work. That was her normal since she started having morning sickness. She was hoping yesterday's day-long queasiness was just an off day and not the new normal. But if just seeing a dead body got people sick, she had little hopes of getting away with only throwing up once today.

"You must be Ren's shadow," she heard from her right. Kyoko turned to see a man wearing glasses with light brown hair. He looked to be a little older than her and Ren. She was 20 and Ren was 24 (she'd found out when investigating the person who upset Sho so much a while back). "My name is Yukihito Yashiro and I am the lead CSI. I work with Ren all the time. He told me he'd be getting a shadow from LoveME starting this week. It's nice to meet you." He said while extending a hand to her to shake.

"Thank you," she said while taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you as well. My name is Kyoko Mogami. You can call me Kyoko." Yukihito gave off a friendly atmosphere and Kyoko instantly liked him.

"Have you ever seen a real crime scene before?" He asked her.

"No, this will be my first and Ren's already warned me about the dead body," she told him.

"Yes, it's not easy on the stomach the first time. Even the second time for some people. Here's a bag in case you need it." He handed her a brown paper bag that she took. "Come with me and I'll give you the basics of how evidence collection works." He ushered her into another room while explaining that CSIs often arrived before detectives to a scene. She let him guide her around listening to his explanations and taking mental notes to write down later.

* * *

Ren already knew this case was going to be a pain. The house was in the richer part of the neighborhood. Doing interviews in poor neighborhoods usually didn't result in much. Poor neighborhoods had a natural distrust of authority. But interviewing rich people was difficult in the opposite way. They gave way too much information, most of it irrelevant, much of it lies. Weeding through what mattered and what was truth took a lot of time.

He looked around the house taking the environment in. It was well decorated and clean. They probably had a maid who took care of the bulk of the chores. The furniture looked as good as new. The appliances were high-end brands and well maintained.

Ren wished his sense of smell was working. There was often residual smells leftover of who had been in a room before the police showed up. A strong perfume or cologne that wasn't fresh anymore so others couldn't pick up on it, but he could. Well, normally he could. He was out of luck today. He'd have to rely on what the CSIs gave him and what the scene itself told him.

After poking around the house, Ren found his way back to the crime scene in the living room. He saw Kyoko with Yukihito on the other side of the room. She was puking into a bag after seeing the dead body. _Saw that coming,_ Ren thought as he moved towards the body.

At first glance, it looked like a crime of passion. A man was stabbed multiple times in the chest and abdomen. The knife was beside him on the floor. Only this room had signs of a scuffle. The rest of the house was in order. It was likely that whoever did it had access to the house normally or had been let in. In other words, the victim knew his attacker.

Ren bent down towards the body to see if he could see any other details up close. He could see six total wounds. _That__'__s a lot of anger._ It took strength to stab someone, pull out a knife, and then stab again. To repeat multiple times showed that someone was either very strong or fueled by adrenaline from anger, sometimes both.

He looked closer at the knife at his feet and noticed blood only went up about an inch of the blade. _More anger than strength then. _Whoever did the stabbing hadn't been able to push the blade all the way in. The blade was a dagger. It was double-sided with a silvervine guard and gold handle. He would have to look at it more later after it was cleaned off.

He stood back up as Yukihito approached him. "Most of the evidence collection is from this room." The lead CSI told him. "The bathroom down the hall appears to have been used for cleaning recently so we're collecting from there as well. The killer probably tried to clean off the blood in there."

Ren nodded. "Okay, any evidence as to how the perpetrator got in? From a quick look around, it seems like they were allowed in the home. There's no damage to any other rooms."

"We haven't found any yet. It might still turn up, but I think you're right. Whoever it was had access to the house already," Yukihito confirmed.

While the two men were talking, Kyoko moved closer to the body. Ren kept one eye on her in case she was sick again. They didn't need her contaminating the crime scene with the contents of her stomach. The young woman seemed to be collected as she approached. Something caught her eye and she moved next to Ren and bent down.

"I've seen this dagger before," she said looking up at the two men.

"What?" They said in unison. They both bent down to get a closer look at it.

"Yesterday, I went to a pawnshop to see if there were any like it." She quickly took out her phone and started swiping before finding what she wanted. She turned the phone and showed them the picture she had taken with six daggers in a case just like the one in front of them. "I was asked to check for them because there is a man on trial with a dagger from this set as evidence. My senior believes the man to be innocent and wanted to confirm that there were more daggers available that other people could have."

"Kyoko, could you send me that picture?" Yukihito asked. "We'll include it as part of evidence."

Kyoko nodded. "Just give me your number, and I'll send it over."

Ren thought about it while the two got the photo settled. It was unusual for weapons from a set to be used in separate crimes with different perpetrators. The only exception being gangs who used certain weapons as calling cards. As far as he knew, none of the gangs in town used a dagger like this. He'd have to check into the other case Kyoko mentioned, but Ren didn't think it was the same perpetrator. This looked like a first time killing and done out of extreme anger rather than premeditated.

An officer came up to Ren to interrupt his thinking. "Detective, we have the details of the house owners. Someone is making attempts to call them now to notify them."

"If one of the names of the owners is Sean Cord, don't bother. We found the wallet on the body with ID. The coroner will double-check it with DNA, but there's no reason for him to have someone else's wallet in his pocket." Yukihito told the officer. He and Kyoko had apparently finished swapping numbers and getting the photo sent. They joined in on the conversation.

"Yes, that was one of the owners. We'll call the wife and have her come down to the station then." He walked off to go speak with a female officer, presumably the one who was making the phone calls.

"Kyoko, how far from here is that pawnshop where you saw the daggers?" Ren asked her. If it was close enough, they could swing by and check it out before meeting the wife at the station.

"I'm not sure, let me check." She pulled out her phone again to check the maps. "It looks like it's about 10 minutes."

"That's close enough. We'll go check that out first. Let's go."

* * *

Kyoko and Ren left the crime scene behind and got into the car to return to the pawnshop Kyoko visited yesterday. Ren seemed to have cooled down a bit, as had the rain. Her grudge demons weren't soaking up his hate energy anymore. Focusing on the crime scene seemed to distract him from whatever anger he suddenly had towards her.

Kyoko appreciated it. Dealing with that oppressive anger earlier was…well, oppressive.

Using the map on her phone Kyoko directed Ren to a place to park. The only parking space was behind the store. They would have to walk around to get to the entrance. They got out of the car and made their way to the front of the store quickly. It wasn't a downpour anymore, but it was still raining.

Kyoko stopped to look at the window as she passed it. _…I didn__'__t notice that yesterday__… _Stopping caused her to get wetter than she had wanted to.

"What is it?" Ren asked. He was holding the door open to go inside the shop. He left his umbrella in the car this time so he was getting wet as well. Kyoko looked at him and pointed at what she was looking at.

"Can you see that?" She asked. Ren walked over to see what she was talking about. She heard a sudden intake of breath from him as he followed where her finger was pointing.

"Yes," he told her as he looked at her curiously.

"Really?" She asked looking up at him. "Sho couldn't see them. This symbol, it was at all the locations of the kidnappings of the children. It was at the location where they were held as well. That's how we found the building. I came across it and recognized the symbol."

"Kidnappings? You mean the ones from a couple of months ago when a dozen kids had been taken? The one Officer Fuwa had a party held in his honor over?" Ren looked confused and concerned. Kyoko was getting the feeling that Ren knew something.

"Yes, this symbol was the only connection between all the sites," Kyoko told him.

Ren's face darkened as he processed what she was telling him. "Let's go speak to the shop owner and get out of this rain," he said. They were both thoroughly wet now.

Kyoko followed him inside. Once again, the bell on the door announced her arrival to the shop keeper who came over to greet them.

"Ah, miss, back again I see. And you've brought a friend this time." He beamed at them.

Ren pulled out his badge and showed it to the man. "I'm detective Ren Tsuruga. I heard you have a set of interesting daggers here. I'd like to look at them."

"Do you mean the ones the young lady was looking at yesterday?" He asked.

"Yes," Kyoko piped up.

"They're over here. Although, two more have already been bought. There's only four left now." The shop keeper informed them as he walked over to the case with the daggers and pulled them out.

Kyoko walked over with Ren to get a closer look at them. All four were brought out for inspection. Ren picked one up to look at it closer. Kyoko noticed his eyes briefly went wide with shock but he quickly masked it. He inspected each dagger, turning them over, and looking at the details.

"Do you have records of everyone who purchased these?" Ren asked as he put the last dagger down.

"I have records of each purchase, but some people paid in cash so there's no card information." The clerk told him.

Ren nodded. "What about the two that were bought over the last day?"

"Both of those were cash purchases." The storekeeper said after thinking a moment.

"Could you give me a description of the buyers and a copy of the receipts?" Ren asked. "Actually, could you give me that information for anyone who's bought these daggers from you?" He pulled out a small notebook with a pen to take notes on what the older gentleman was going to say.

"I can tell you about the two from the last day no problem, but I don't remember them all so well. There were a dozen of them in all, and they've been bought over the past month." The clerk told Ren.

"That's fine, tell me what you do remember," Ren told him.

As the clerk gave Ren a description of each person who bought a dagger, Kyoko looked closer at them. Something about them shocked Ren. She wanted to see if she could figure out what. She picked one up to look at it. She hadn't touched any of the daggers yesterday. She had only looked through the window of the case. It felt cold in her hands.

Suddenly, an image of Sho roared up in her mind. Her anger flared at the image, and she was consumed by her hatred for him. She forgot where she was and what she was doing. All she saw was Sho. The one who used and betrayed her. Without realizing it, she gripped the handle of the dagger tightly as if getting ready to use it.

"Don't touch the evidence!" Ren yelled at her. He grabbed her wrist and forcibly removed the dagger from her grasp. Kyoko felt dazed. As quickly as the anger had filled her it left her, leaving her feeling confused and looking dumbstruck. She had no idea what just happened.

Ren put the dagger back on the case. "Can you box these up for me? They're part of a crime scene investigation now."

The storekeeper looked upset. "These are my merchandise and worth a fair amount. I can't just give away my merchandise."

Ren sighed. "I can get a warrant for them if you want, but either way, you'll lose possession of them. Might as well just give them to me now. Once the investigation is over they will be returned to you and you can sell them then. It's not a permanent loss." The clerk didn't look pleased but he accepted Ren's reasoning. He grabbed a container to put them in. He wrapped each in a cloth before adding them to the box. "Can you put together the receipts of all the purchases for the rest in the set? I can come by later in the week to get them," Ren asked.

"Yes, I can get those together for you detective. My records are paper. It will take me a few days." The clerk told him.

"That's fine," Ren said grabbing the box full of daggers. "I have to get back to the station now anyways. I'll be back in a couple of days. Thanks for your help." Kyoko followed him out the door. Her head was still reeling a bit from the sudden and intense hatred she had felt. She had completely lost consciousness of what was around her when it happened. It was a frightening experience.

She was still thinking about it when she climbed in the car to head back to the station. She felt bad about getting his seat wet since she was soaked from the rain but he was in no better shape than she was. He caught her off guard by his sudden attempt at conversation and the topic. "What is your revenge towards Officer Fuwa about?" He asked her.

_Why is he picking that conversation back up? _She wondered. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.

"Isn't that who you were thinking about in there when you gripped the dagger? Or is there someone else you carry a grudge for?" He asked while pulling out of the parking area.

_Can he read my mind?!_ Kyoko thought alarmed. How did he know what she had been thinking about?

Ren took a glance at her before saying, "Anger was written all over your face in there. I just put two and two together of who you said you wanted revenge on."

That made sense. Kyoko didn't really want to talk about it with him. He had become incredibly angry earlier when she mentioned it before. And he seemed to not be happy now. Her grudge demons weren't out yet though.

"Even if it was, I don't see why I need to tell you about it," Kyoko argued.

"You are going to be riding with me all week and have a grudge against one of my fellow officers. If you don't come clean, I'll tell Lori you can't shadow at the police department." He kept his voice steady, but it still sounded dangerous.

"Fine!" Kyoko caved. She didn't want to get kicked off her first assignment. "I grew up with Sho and came with him to the city. We lived together for almost two years before…before we didn't anymore."

"So he dumped you," Ren offered up.

Kyoko shot a glare at him. It was true, but he didn't have to say it.

"You mentioned the kidnapping case and that symbol. What were you doing working the case? You weren't even a reporter then." He pushed.

"Sho wanted to…" Kyoko hesitated. She didn't want to tell him Sho was trying to overcome his popularity. "He wanted to make a name for himself and figured if he found the kids he would become popular. He asked for my help." Kyoko grumbled out the last bit.

"There's no proof is there that you are the one who actually found the kids?" Ren prodded.

Kyoko sighed, "No."

"So you became a reporter to do what exactly?" He really was leaving no stone unturned.

"To get revenge on him. I'll find a scoop that embarrasses him and ruin his name." Kyoko's grudge demons were starting to pop out as she remembered her hatred and her goals. Or at least she thought that's why they were popping out. She quickly realized they were gravitating towards Ren as he was radiating anger. "What are you so mad about?" She asked.

"You're a reporter. Your job is to impartially present the facts to the public. It's a difficult job to do with the best intentions. With your heart set on revenge, you'll add to the problems of this city. You'll see slights when there are none. Report on events to raise angst against one person. But not just a person. You'll raise the city's ire against the whole police department in your vendetta against one individual. It won't be long before you become corrupted and be part of the problem." Kyoko was shocked at the tirade he directed at her. "It's unpleasant to have to work with you," he spat out before going silent.

Kyoko was shocked. She had never thought about the situation from that angle. _Will my anger corrupt me? _It was true. If given the opportunity, she would write a scathing article about Sho. But that would affect more than just him; it would paint the whole police department in a negative light. Would she fall prey to bribes or other misconduct just to get back at Sho? If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit it was possible, even likely. When she thought about him, she felt like she would go to any lengths to get her revenge.

She had never been confronted with the impact her revenge would have on others. It made her feel uncomfortable and dirty.

The two sat in silence the rest of the ride back to the station. Kyoko was lost in thought, and Ren was radiating anger. Her grudge demons loved it and were soaking up the feeling.

Ren parked and got out of the car. When Kyoko got out too, he turned to her. "You can go home for the day. I'm going to be telling a wife that she is now a widow. She doesn't need an audience for that. I assume you can take the bus home?"

"Y-yes," Kyoko stammered under the weight of his words. He was dismissing her, disgusted by her revenge filled presence.

"I'll contact you tomorrow to let you know where to meet me." He said before walking off.

Kyoko watched him walk away not sure what to think after he attacked her feelings of revenge and pointed out to her how she was vulnerable. She walked over to the bus stop lost in thought not caring that she was getting wet again. She mechanically got on and made her way home.

* * *

This chapter was about double what I've been writing so far. I hope you enjoyed it! And thanks to all those who have been commenting, favoriting, and following!

I have to give a quick disclaimer here. I don't know anything about being a detective or a reporter. I'm relying on what I've seen on TV and can find for info online. I did some Mock Trial in high school several years ago which is helping. If you have insider information about how either of these professions work, I am all ears!

I also don't have the edits for this chapter from my husband. He was really busy with work this week. He did read it over and said he only had minor grammar corrections for me. So content won't change any when I do get his feedback.

Thanks for reading! And remember, comments are an author's life-blood.

-Besma0003


	5. Purge and Shock

Ren walked into the precinct intentionally leaving the box of knives in the car. He would check them into evidence later, but he had to purge them first. And the Chief of Police would want to see them as well. Right now, he had to focus on the widow.

"Ren," his supervisor, Ushio Kurosaki, called him over before he had a chance to meet up with the victim's wife. Ren walked over to him. The man looked more like a gang member than he did a police officer. He had a goatee, several earrings in each ear, and was often smoking, though he wasn't at this moment. "How did it go with your shadow today?"

Ren suppressed a groan. He didn't want to talk about her right now. "It went fine, she had some insight into the new case." Kurosaki gave him a questioning look so he explained further. "The murder weapon looks to be a unique dagger. She had seen it before in a pawnshop. We checked it out. It definitely was the same one. It was part of a set of 12." Ren told him.

"Interesting," the older man said as he stroked his goatee. "Maybe this shadow program won't be such a mistake after all." He said as he walked away. Kurosaki made no secret about his dislike of the shadow program. But it had come down from the top so they couldn't fight it.

Kyoko was a mystery and a thorn for Ren. She could see the flower symbol that humans weren't supposed to be able to see, and she had a major grudge she held within her. The grudge was a problem. The daggers were cursed. Anyone who held extreme hatred within themselves would be affected by the curse on the daggers and be driven into a frenzy once touching them. He had his own hatred he held and had felt the curse working on him. But he could control it. He'd been controlling it his whole life. The curse wouldn't overpower him. But it could easily overpower someone who had no control over their anger. Kyoko almost went on a stabbing spree as soon as she touched one of the daggers. _Her presence will be a hindrance to this case. _He would have to keep her away from cursed items or risk her becoming a suspect. _It might not matter. With the grudge she's nursing, she might get herself into trouble anyways. _Ren sighed. Yes, the woman would be a problem. One he didn't want to have to deal with.

He couldn't waste time thinking about his shadow now. He had a grieving woman he needed to speak to about who would want to kill her husband.

* * *

Kyoko arrived home hungry. It was late afternoon and she hadn't eaten since morning. _So much for following doctor's orders, _she thought as she threw her water bottle and bag on the counter. Not only was she hungry, but she was drenched. She quickly took her clothes off and dropped them in the hamper. One of the perks of living by herself was she could walk around in how little clothes she wanted. It had been amazing to discover, and she constantly wondered to herself how she had ever lived having to constantly worry about wearing clothes in front of others at home. It was so much more relaxing to walk around in her underclothes as she moved about her room.

Kyoko grabbed some chicken and broccoli out of the fridge. She cooked it up with some rice. After adding some BBQ sauce it was done. It was an easy meal to make even if it did take a little longer to cook than she liked. At least she had leftovers for a couple of days. She would have lunch to bring with her tomorrow.

Ren was a workaholic. He never once stopped during the day to think about getting food. She was so absorbed in everything she was learning and what was going on that she forgot about food too. She couldn't afford to repeat that. Dr. Woods had told her that not eating could cause her to pass out again. She needed to take care of her health for the sake of the baby and hiding her secret.

_Right…the baby… _Kyoko was too busy to think about it all day. But yeah, she was pregnant. Every time she remembered it it hit her like a ton of bricks. _I need to call and make an appointment. Is it too late?_ She looked at the clock. It wasn't five yet. She should still be able to reach someone at the doctor's office.

Kyoko grabbed her phone from her bag and called. She made an appointment for the following week. _That's better than this week. I'll be shadowing someone else. It should be easier to get away from whoever it is than it will be to get away from Ren…who is also a detective and might figure out my pregnancy easily. _Kyoko sighed. She would have to be on high alert around him. Not only did she need to keep her secret, but it seemed like he didn't like her.

His words struck her hard. it never occurred to her to think about what the fallout of achieving her revenge could be. She didn't want to make trouble for the police department. But if Sho got in trouble, it would reflect badly on the whole department. She also never considered the lengths she would go to get her revenge. If she was honest with herself, the answer was far. She would overstep lines in order to get back at Sho. Thinking about it with a clear head, she felt ashamed, nervous, and determined.

She was determined to get back at Sho in some way. She felt nervous at the idea of how far she would go to do it, and she felt ashamed at the idea that she would cross moral boundaries to do so.

"Why did he have to go and make everything complicated?" Kyoko grumbled. She had finished eating by now. She was just pushing one last piece of chicken around her plate as she contemplated her life.

It was depressing, and she needed to be more productive with her time. With a push of will power, she pushed her current thoughts to the back of her mind. She cleaned her dishes and sat on her bed with her laptop. She started searching for information on the daggers since they appeared to be involved with more than one case.

* * *

Ren was exhausted, but his night was far from over. He was bringing the box of daggers over to the chief at the main precinct. The widow was a crying mess, understandably. It was difficult to get anything out of her. In the end, he didn't learn much. They had a maid as he suspected. She thought the maid might have had a thing for her husband. But everyone loved him. He was a stand-up guy that everyone admired. _Yeah right, _he thought. He knew the wife was hiding something. He just had to figure out what.

But that wasn't what he was going to focus on tonight. He had to deal with those daggers. He already checked the dagger from the crime scene. It was no longer cursed. Some curses dissipated after being fully activated. It seemed like that was the case with the murder weapon. He would still have to remove the curse on the rest of the set. Otherwise, they would have four more stabbings on their hands. _As it is, there are 7 others out there. _One had already been used according to Kyoko. He would still need to look into the details of that case but that left 6 in the city.

Ren reached the main precinct and brought the box of cursed daggers in with him. He had texted the chief earlier to let him know he'd be coming by. Rori Takarada was waiting for him. Ren found the captain in his office going over some paperwork. He knocked on the door to let his superior know he was there.

"Ren," he said looking up from his papers and peering over his reading glasses, "come in and close the door behind you." Ren did as instructed. Rori took his reading glasses off to get a better look at Ren as he walked in. Rori was Lori's twin brother. Lori was flamboyant and outgoing. Rori was serious and down to earth. The two brothers couldn't be more different in their personalities even though they looked exactly the same as identical twins.

"I came across these cursed items today," Ren said laying the box on the table. "One of the set is part of a murder case I'm working on." He sat down in one of the chairs facing Rori's desk.

Rori opened the box to look at the content. He used a pen to brush the cloth to the side to see one of the daggers better. He was avoiding using his hands to touch it. "Have you learned anything about the curse yet?" Rori asked as he visually inspected what was inside.

"They only activate if someone carrying extreme hatred within them touches them. The store clerk wasn't affected by the curse at all. I felt it as soon as I touched one. Kyoko, the shadow Lori gave me, was also affected and almost started stabbing on the spot," Ren informed him.

Rori whistled, "does she know she was affected by a curse on the dagger?" He asked looking at Ren.

"No, I don't think she has any idea what happened. She was stunned," he said remembering the look of confusion on her face over what just happened to her.

"Anything else?" Rori asked rasping his knuckles on his desk.

"The curse seems to dissipate after being fully activated. The dagger from the crime scene no longer has a curse on it without being purged." Ren said.

"That's good, at least," Rori said as he sat back in his chair. "How many are in the set?"

"12," Ren said. "Kyoko said she knows of one other that was used in another case. That makes 6 we know the locations of and 6 out there waiting to cause trouble." Ren leaned his elbows on his knees as he talked.

"That's troublesome," Rori said. "Unfortunately, we can't warn anyone about it. No one else knows curses exist. It's just you and me who can be on the lookout…well, and my brother, Lori." Rori was thinking out loud. Magic and curses were not known to the rest of the world. They would be laughed at and be treated as pariahs if they tried to warn people that cursed items were a thing. That meant there was nothing they could do but wait for the other daggers to be involved in some sort of crime before they could confiscate them. "Can you purge these ones?" Rori asked him.

"Yes, it'll take me all night though," Ren told him.

"Sorry, Ren," the chief told him, "but you're the only one capable of purging a curse. And no one else knows so you'll still have to show up for work in the morning even after being up all night."

"Yes, I know," Ren said sighing. There was no way around it. The daggers couldn't be placed into evidence still cursed. An officer could wind up being affected. They did not need that drama.

Rori ran his hand down his face. "Do you have anything else to report?" He asked.

Ren cupped his hands around the center of his face leaving only his eyes and cheeks visible. "Yes," he said hesitantly. "The symbol from home was on the pawnshop." Rori's eyebrows arched up at that information. "And what's more, Kyoko can see it. She's the one who pointed it out to me." Ren sat back in his seat thinking about it. "She's seen it before too. Apparently, it was at the scene of each abduction site of the dozen children Officer Fuwa found as well as the building where they were found."

"How would she know all that?" Rori asked him confused.

"Because apparently she's the one who actually found the kids. She followed the symbol and alerted Officer Fuwa to it even though he couldn't see it." Ren saw the confusion still on Rori's face. "They have a history, and she was helping him out."

"That's… enlightening…" was all Rori said. Officer Fuwa just got on the chief's shit list. He involved a civilian in an investigation he wasn't even supposed to be part of and then took all the credit. It couldn't be proven so they could not act on the information. But the man would have to be on his best behavior from now on or the chief would come down on him hard. In fact, Rori would be on the lookout for him to screw up. The man had already pulled a stunt. It wouldn't be surprising for him to pull a stunt again. They would just have to wait for it.

"Well, I'd better not hold you up and let you get to it," Rori said returning from his thoughts.

Ren nodded, stood up, and grabbed the box of cursed daggers. "Do try and get some sleep, Ren," Rori told him on his way out. "And make sure to eat something."

"Yes, sir," Ren called behind him as he left.

* * *

Ren walked into the precinct the next morning exhausted. He'd already had a couple of coffees since he woke up. He managed to get two hours of sleep in but that was it. The first thing he did was check the daggers into evidence. He didn't need to hang onto them longer than necessary causing someone to ask him why he didn't check them in last night.

He texted Kyoko the night before after getting her number from Yukihito. He told her to meet him in the precinct this morning. She should be arriving soon. The day would start with a briefing from his supervisor, Kurosaki. It was tedious but necessary to stay up to date with what else was going on in the city and to be aware of what everyone was working on.

There was some good news for this morning though. His sense of smell was finally back. His body must have worked overtime to repair his sinuses during those two hours he slept. It was a relief to be able to use all his senses again. He felt a little like he was walking through a fog yesterday not being able to smell.

Ren walked over to the briefing room and found a seat while yawning. He sipped at his coffee while waiting for the room to fill up.

Slowly, people trickled in. Almost everyone was nursing their own cup of coffee. Most worked late into the night as he had. Being a detective wasn't a 40 hour a week kind of job. They worked around the clock on working days and were on call their off days. It was an exhausting but fulfilling job. It was the only one he had ever wanted since he was a kid. Being a detective meant following in his father's footsteps. Ren worshipped his father as a child and came to love all the same things he did, including detective work.

A familiar scent caught Ren off guard and brought him out of his thoughts. _Isn't this…_He looked around the room to see if he could find where it was coming from. Kyoko was heading towards him and plopped herself down in the seat next to him. "Good morning," she said as she placed her water bottle and bag on the table.

_My God!_

* * *

Ren was looking at her like she had three heads. One hand was holding his coffee while the other was immobile in his lap. His eyes were wide in disbelief. Kyoko squirmed under his gaze. It made her uncomfortable for him to so openly look at her in shock. _Did he just figure out I'm pregnant? _But how could he have? She wasn't really showing, just looked slightly bloated. And there were no other visible signs. Kyoko looked down trying to avoid his eyes.

"Alright, you punks," a man from the front of the room suddenly called out. Kyoko looked up to see who was talking and was a bit shocked. The man looked like a gang member, not like a member of the police force. He had a cranky look about him with a cigarette in one hand and reports in another.

"Before you give me your updates on your cases, I have some info for you all," he said while staring everyone down. "There have been a string of murders around the city that all seem to be linked due to their uniqueness. We haven't had any in our precinct yet, but several others have had cases. All the victims were torn to shreds. Forensic Evidence suggests it's being done by attack dogs. There is some sick bastard out there having animals carry out his murders for him. The worst part is we can't figure out a motive so we can't predict the next attack." Ren stirred beside her from gawking at her in disbelief to staring at his supervisor taking in the information. "Now that that unpleasant business is out of the way, give me your updates." The man at the front of the room said straddling a chair.

One by one the detectives gave him a brief overview of what they were working on and of anything significant they found. When it came to Ren's turn, he mentioned the dead body from the day before and the dagger that was involved that is part of a set that might be connected to at least one other case. He gave a description of the dagger and asked the others in the room to be on the lookout for any of the rest of the set showing up on other crime scenes.

"Do you think we have two serial killers, Ren?" Kurosaki asked him. Kyoko was shocked at the term serial killer. It hadn't registered that that was what he had meant before with the string of murders he mentioned. _A serial killer is in the city…_ It scared Kyoko to think about and Ren was talking like there might be another one.

"No, I haven't had a chance to look into it yet, but I doubt the cases are connected. Sometimes people just find the same kind of weapon attractive for committing a crime. Especially if the news has mentioned it somewhere," Ren said calmly. Others in the room nodded. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. One serial killer was scary enough to think about. She didn't want to think about two.

"Alright, keep me updated on what you find," Kurosaki said before moving on to the next person. Kyoko didn't pay attention to the rest of the meeting. Nothing the other officers had to say had anything to do with her.

When the meeting was over, she reluctantly turned to Ren. She was going to be working with him all week whether either of them liked it or not. He made it abundantly clear yesterday that he didn't like her, but she still had a job to do. She wasn't going to let him get her down.

Except he was looking at her in shock again. This time he looked like she only had two heads instead of three. Kyoko took a deep breath preparing herself before asking, "Is something wrong?"

Ren took a moment too long to respond. "No," he said. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Let's go talk to Yukihito to see if he's learned anything yet from the evidence collected yesterday." He walked out of the room without waiting to see if she was following.

Kyoko quickly gathered her stuff and went after him. At least she would get to see Yukihito. He was pleasant and could act as a buffer between her and Ren.

* * *

Yukihito was looking through DNA results and looking for matches when Ren and Kyoko walked into his office. The atmosphere between them seemed strained which was odd considering it was Ren. Women usually fawned over him due to his good looks and smooth-talking. Seriously, if anyone else tried to say half the stuff Ren did without thinking about it, no one would take them seriously. But Ren somehow made the cheesy words that came out of his mouth seem normal.

So it was strange to see him struggling with the presence of a woman. "Have you learned anything?" Ren asked him while walking over.

"I'm still waiting on the DNA results to come back from your case. We sent the blood from the crime scene to the lab and the swab from the wife. It should come back later today or tomorrow morning," Yukihito told him. "I've thoroughly gone over the dagger. Other than it's unique design and materials there's nothing special about it."

"Materials?" Ren asked quizzically.

"The handle is made of real gold and silver. The blade appears to be a pretty typical high carbon steel for knife craft. It has good quality and geometry. The odd thing is there's no maker's stamp. No major knife manufacturer made these and most small-time bladesmiths would put some kind of identifying mark on their work. Especially if it's a box set with this kind of craftsmanship on the handle." Yukihito gestured to where the dagger was lying beside him on the table. Kyoko walked over to get a closer look. Ren took a step back at her proximity. _Now THAT'S interesting, _Yukihito thought. He would have to tease Ren later when the young woman wasn't around to see if he could get more details on that reaction.

"Do you have anything else for me?" Ren asked from his distance.

"Here's the coroner's report." Yukihito said handing it to him. "There's nothing surprising in there. He was killed from bleeding out of his wounds." Ren took it and thumbed through it briefly to see if anything stuck out to him. "I'll let you know if I find anything else," Yukihito told him.

"Thanks," Ren said and headed out of the room.

"It was good to see you, Yukihito," Kyoko said as she followed Ren out of the room.

Yukihito couldn't wait to get Ren alone later and question him about his reactions to Kyoko. It was extremely odd for a ladies' man like him to be uncomfortable around a woman. Whatever the reason, it was sure to be great teasing material.

* * *

Kyoko arrived home exhausted that night. She plopped herself on the couch enjoying the moment to relax. She and Ren spent the day pouring over information, most of it online. Ren showed her how to find the public social media profiles of people and to follow social links from there. It was amazing the things people put out there publicly. She didn't have a social media profile herself. She wasn't exactly good at making friends. There wasn't any point in her having one.

They looked at the victim's profile to see who his closest friends were and at his postings. Everything was pretty normal. Nothing on there to suggest someone had a grudge against him. They looked at his wife's profile and found much the same. Between the two profiles, they built a social network map of who was who in the victim's life. It was painstaking work. But it gave them a list of people Ren would have to interview. He also had the information from his interview with the wife the day before. They added the information she provided on their daily life to the map they made. Tomorrow, they would start talking to the people of interest they marked.

The work itself was tedious but kinda of fun too. Who she was working with was a pain. Ren was acting like a child today. She knew from yesterday he despised her, but he didn't even want to be close to her today. Anytime she moved close to him he created distance. It made it difficult when they were looking at the same report or showing each other new information one of them found on the computer.

The precinct let her borrow a laptop to use so she could sit next to Ren and help with the research. She couldn't bring it home, it was government property and contained information about an active case on it. That was fine. She didn't need it anyway. She had her own internet access and laptop if she wanted to look something up.

At least she ate lunch today. After her experience yesterday of not having time for lunch, she brought enough food for both of them. It was a good thing she did. Ren would have kept working through lunch too. His body apparently didn't have a very strong need for food since he seemed to forget about it every day. He was surprised when she said it was time to break for lunch, and even more surprised when she said she'd brought enough for him too. He ate it gratefully but guarded. _I know he hates me but geez, I'm not going to poison him._

Kyoko decided she wasn't going to think about Ren anymore tonight. She was home which meant it was time for her to relax. She made herself a quick dinner and sat down to cuddle with Jack. He was laying on her bed as usual and soaked up the attention she gave him. He loved getting scritches under the ears. He leaned into her hand as she doted on him.

* * *

Alright, I've got a lot of things to say, so bear with me.

First, I found a pic to use for the story. I got it off pixabay and it's almost perfect. It's probably too small for you all to see in detail but it's a young woman under a red cloak standing in the rain with a big dog laying down behind her. I just wish the dog was a solid color like from the first chapter instead of white and black.

Second, I created a Discord server for the sharing of images associated with this story. That probably sounds strange but hear me out. At some point, there is going to be an opportunity for them all to be in formal wear and I don't have confidence in my ability to describe fashion. I found outfits for the girls to wear off of some dress websites. I would really like you all to be able to picture them in their outfits so the server will give me the opportunity to share the images. Here is the server invite for those interested: /AsGG9AF. It's going to be a long time before it's needed for that purpose. I just wanted to get it set up now.

Third, I plan to do an extra posting on Monday for ch 6 and post ch 7 on Friday. Ch 6 is short and I think you're all going to be dying to read it, so I won't make you wait a week. It's written but still in the review process. It should be done by Monday, if not, I'll post it as soon as I can. Same for 7. It's written but needs to be reviewed so I think it'll be done for Friday. It is a bit of a tricky chapter though. If it takes longer, I'll post an update on my profile and/or put it out in discord if anyone decides to join the server.

I think that was all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading! And remember, comments are an author's lifeblood.

-Besma0003


	6. His Recollection

Ren collapsed face-first into bed as soon as he got home. His exhaustion was overwhelming. He'd barely slept the night before and then was on edge all day thanks to his shadow.

He groaned thinking about her. He couldn't believe it. Kyoko was the woman from two months ago whom he had a one night stand with. He didn't expect to ever meet that woman again. What were the chances? They were in a city of over 600,000 people. How likely was it that he would come across the same total stranger again? Apparently, it was very likely.

She clearly didn't know it was him. The only reason he knew was because of his strong sense of smell. _Speaking of which…_ It was definitely the same woman but something was different about her scent. It was slightly off. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad. The difference made her seem more attractive to him. Normally, someone being more attractive would be a good thing, but he didn't want to be more attracted to her, or anyone for that matter.

He didn't deserve to be in a relationship. His sin was too great. He would carry it for the rest of his life working towards atonement. Nothing he would ever do would make up for what he did, but he could try at least.

The memories of that day were what had driven him out in the rain that night. It was the 20th anniversary of the tragedy that was his fault. He always got drunk that day. Even before he was above the drinking age limit of 18. He couldn't handle the memories sober.

The chief, Rori Takarada, knew what day it was and excused him from attending the festivities of the party for Officer Fuwa. He drank alone in his apartment that night. The desire to get away from the walls in his room drove him to the streets. He needed open air to handle what was going through his mind.

He was four when it happened. Other people would have tuned out the memories from such a tragedy happening so young. But not him. He remembered every detail vividly. Remembered every step and word that took him closer to betraying those he loved.

Once the weather picked up in intensity he sought out shelter. It had already been raining but the wind got stronger and lightning started up.

Ren rolled onto his back and closed his eyes remembering the night he first met Kyoko.

* * *

_He walked through a door to an abandoned warehouse. Thankfully, the door wasn't locked. He wasn't sure he would have had the strength to bust it open in his current condition. He looked around the room he was in. There were desks scattered around and some chairs. He brought a chair to a desk and sat on it, leaning on the desk in front of him._

_It would have been easy to fall asleep like that. The sound of thunder was drowning out any thoughts in his mind. It was keeping away his nightmaric memories. And he was drunk enough not to care about being soaking wet._

_Ren heard a loud crack. He lifted his head from the desk to see if he could tell where the sound came from. Then his chair gave out from under him and he slammed into the floor. _That's where the sound came from, _he thought. Clearly, he couldn't trust the furniture in here._

_He groaned as he picked himself up off the floor. His body was sore from slamming into the floor. He was glad no one else was around. He was the opposite of grace at the moment. He looked around the room some more and noticed some boxes. They would make for a makeshift cushion. So Ren walked over, broke a few down, and placed them on the floor next to a wall._

_He sat down on them, leaning against the wall behind him. It was somewhat relaxing. He wasn't sure how long he sat like that before he heard the door to the warehouse opening. A woman walked in. From what he could see, she didn't look in much better shape than him. She was drenched and a little unsteady on her feet._

_He called out to her as she closed the door. He saw her form jump in surprise at the sound of his voice._

"_I'm sorry. I didn't realize this space was already occupied. I'll head back out." She sounded panicked and quickly turned to leave._

"_Wait," he called out to her. "It's not safe to go out in that weather. This building is big enough for both of us. I'm here waiting out the storm myself. No reason we can't share." He said while walking over to her. The company might be nice. It might help keep the demons of his mind away._

"_Thank you," he heard her say hesitantly._

"_You can come join me over here if you'd like," he offered to her gesturing to where he made himself a makeshift seat. "Or you can go find your own area to hang out." He walked back over to his seat to let her decide what she wanted to do._

_He couldn't see her facial features very well thanks to the poor lighting. He really had no idea what she looked like. But her smell, THAT he picked up just fine. There was something oddly familiar about it but he couldn't quite place it. All his mind could manage to think of was how intoxicating it was._

"_Why aren't you using any of the chairs?" he heard from behind him._

"_Oh," he chuckled turning to look at her. As embarrassing as it was to admit he fell on his butt, it was better than to make her go through the same experience. So he told her about the unpleasant incident. _

"_Ah, guess I'll join you then." She said. Ren's heart leaped at the words. He didn't know why, but he desperately wanted to be close to her. Maybe it was because human contact would help ease his mind and soul. Or maybe it was because she smelled amazing. He didn't know and didn't care enough to contemplate the why._

"_Sit on the boxes I already laid out. I'll get some more for myself." He told her as he headed over to the boxes. Ren quickly grabbed some and returned to make another seat next to her. They sat in silence for a while. Each absorbed in their own thoughts. He felt her shiver next to him. He didn't have anything to offer to keep her warm, not even a jacket. He just stayed next to her hoping that his body heat would help some._

_Eventually, she started sobbing._ _He reached over and pulled her head into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't know what else he could do for her. It apparently was acceptable. At the contact, she started crying harder and let out all her pain. He stroked her hair hoping it would help soothe her._

_Eventually, she quieted down and laid there against his chest quietly. Ren sighed as he pulled his hand away from her hair. He didn't want to stop stroking her, it was just as soothing for him as he hoped it was for her. But he didn't want to overstep his bounds._

"_Please don't stop," he heard her say "It's soothing." Ren's heart skipped a beat at the permission to continue touching her._

"_Okay," he said softly as he continued the motion of running his fingers against her hair. "Do you mind if I ask what has you out in this storm in a party dress so upset and a bit drunk?" He hadn't noticed the dress initially. But having her in his arms it was hard not to. It revealed her legs and shoulders. He imagined it looked beautiful on her before it got ruined._

"_You could tell I've been drinking, huh?" He heard her say grimacing._

"_It's pretty obvious," he told her. "You're not very steady on your feet. Don't worry, no judgment here. I've been drinking tonight too." He continued stroking her hair taking in her smell as well as the softness of her hair. "So?" He pressed. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but we are going to be here for a while. If you want to, you can." At least one of them might be able to leave this warehouse feeling better. His nightmare would never leave him, but he would like to help her work through what was going on in her life if he could._

_She was silent for a few moments before finally responding. "I caught my boyfriend cheating," she told him. "And I overheard him say he was planning to break up with me anyway." Ren was a little shocked that that's all it was. He'd had plenty of breakups in the past. None of them sent him into grief like this._

"_That's it?" He asked. "Boyfriends come and go. You'll find another one." Men were a dime a dozen after all. He had no doubt there would be plenty in her future who would be interested in her. Heck, he found himself interested in her. It was hard not to be surrounded by her tantalizing scent and holding her in his arms._

_The woman in his arms bolted upright and punched him in the shoulder. "What do you mean 'that's it?'?! I dedicated my life to that bastard. My whole life! Everything I've ever done was for his sake!" She yelled passionately as Ren rubbed where she punched. She had quite the punch. "And now…" she faltered. "I don't know who I am without him in my life. I've never done anything for myself. I'm…just an empty shell." She finished despondently._

"_You hit hard for such a small thing," he told her. The woman just smirked at him._

"_What about you?" She asked him. "You said you've been drinking tonight too. I've noticed the alcohol on your breath since you said it. Something must be getting at you too tonight to drink and come out in this storm."_

_Ren's thoughts turned inward at her question._ _"A memory from a nightmare long ago," he said quietly. He didn't want to bring his mind back to those memories._

"_So what now?" She asked. "We're just two miserable, drunk people out in the rain." Her scent wafted through the air anew as she leaned back into his shoulder._

"_Mmmm," was all his mind could muster in response. Her presence was blocking out what his mind feared to think about. He continued running his hands through her hair like earlier. But this time he didn't just run his fingers against her hair. He ran them down her back too. He felt her shiver at his touch and pull away to look up at him. "You smell good," he whispered as he nudged her face with his. Ren wasn't sure what he was hoping for in response. He wasn't doing a whole lot of thinking. The alcohol had taken over at this point and he was just acting on whatever popped into his head._

_He was pleasantly surprised when her hand reached up for his face. She pressed it against his cheek and leaned into his face, kissing him. That was all the permission Ren needed. He pulled her closer with one arm around her back and a hand behind her head. He had her fully in his lap now. He felt her arch one arm around his neck and press herself to him._

_They greedily accepted each other's desires. He maneuvered off the wall and laid down with her on top._

_His hands traveled her body as they kissed. He moved his hands along her back, over her butt, and down her legs as far as his arms could reach. It wasn't just her back he explored. His hands moved along her front as well. Passing over her breasts and down her stomach._

_Ren was enjoying the hookup, but he knew he had to put a stop to it. If they kept going at this rate, they would have sex. He couldn't afford the risk of getting someone pregnant. Even in his drunken state, that fact rang true. He was lucky he never got anyone pregnant up to this point from his promiscuity when he was younger. He didn't care about anything back then, not his own life or carrying on the family line._

_But that wasn't the case anymore. He cared now. He couldn't let the situation continue or he wouldn't be able to stop himself before things went too far. He couldn't afford to risk the one pregnancy he was allowed with a stranger._

_With great effort and a groan, he pulled his mouth from hers and wrapped his arms around her holding them both still. "What's wrong?" She asked, gently kissing his neck. She wasn't helping his weak willpower any._

"_If we don't stop now, I won't be able to," he told her. She quietly rested her head on his chest. Then she slowly pushed herself away from him and went to her purse. He propped himself up on one arm to watch her as she moved around. He already missed having her in his arms. Thankfully, she came back and laid down next to him._

"_We could continue," she said holding up a condom between her fingers in front of his eyes. That's what she had gone to grab. He rested his hand on her side as he looked at her debating what to do. Even with a condom, he shouldn't. On rare occasions, they could break. And the risk was just too great._

_She brought her hand up to his face and pulled herself in close to kiss at his neck. He closed his eyes and groaned at her touch. His willpower snapped and he took the condom from her while finding her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her again pulling her to him while rolling himself on top of her._

* * *

Ren opened his eyes in an attempt to disperse the memory. It didn't work. He covered his face with his hand as his mind reminisced on the feeling of her skin, her scent, and her participation in what happened that night.

He groaned and got out of bed. He walked over to his bathroom and got ready for a shower. Maybe doing something productive would help kick his brain into thinking about something else.

Ren turned on the water and hopped in as his thoughts stayed on Kyoko. What she said that night made sense now with what he learned yesterday about her relationship with Fuwa. _Just how much of her life has she dedicated to him? _She said they grew up together. _Does that mean she's been dedicating herself to him since they were children? _That's a long time. No wonder her grudge was so strong. Her feelings for Sho were probably far stronger than any feelings he'd ever had for a woman. None of his relationships were serious. He couldn't imagine being in love like that. _Even if I could, I don't deserve it._

It was a mistake to have sex that night. He knew it at the time, but he hadn't cared. She helped chase away the demons of his mind and he was too afraid that he would be stuck with them if he left her presence. So he gratefully accepted the condom she presented and proceeded.

It was easy to tell she wasn't used to sex that took the woman into account. Ren knew very well that many men took care of only their own needs when with a woman and left their partner unsatisfied. But it was still shocking to have real evidence of it in his arms. He was only all too happy to teach her something better.

...

His mind wandered again in a direction he was trying to avoid. He sighed at his own hopelessness and shut the water off.

_I need to forget that night, _he thought as he toweled off. _I need to see the woman in front of me. The one with a grudge. The one who will easily become corrupted and add to the problems of this city. _As long as she stayed on that path, Ren didn't want to have anything to do with her.

He would keep his distance. _Although I'll have to do a better job then I did today. _He was as jumpy as a cat in her presence. Without time to digest their previous connection, he struggled being around her. But now that he had time to process everything, he would do better. He would treat her professionally and keep her at arm's length… Even if she did smell irresistible.

* * *

Thanks so much for all the comments from the last chapter. I love to hear that you're loving it and your thoughts. There was a question in regards to why Ren was jumpy last chapter. I hope this answered that question. And as far as what's going on with who Ren is, that's going to be a secret for a while longer. :P I hope you feel thoroughly teased with the minor details I gave in this chapter towards that regard.

This was a tricky chapter because I was trying to do the recollection without the repetition making it boring. My husband and I went back and forth on it a bit. In the end, I don't have the skill at this time to write it with all the detail of Ren's perspective without the dialogue. When I tried to take out the dialogue, too many details got left out. My apologies if you found it redundant.

The release of ch 275 this weekend crushed my soul a bit. I built up the potential for the chapter way too much. If you read the one shot I wrote of 'Bo Unmasked' you'll understand why I say that.

Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. I'm going to work on tweaking ch 7 now. It has its own problem that needs fixing.

Thanks for reading! And remember, comments are an author's lifeblood.

-Besma0003


	7. Interviews

_It was dark and opening her eyes didn't change that fact. Her arms were behind her back, bound by the wrists. She was sitting up in a chair with her feet bound to the front legs._

_Kyoko didn't know how she got here. The room smelled musty. In the distance, she heard a burst of maniacal laughter followed by the name, "Kuon." At first, she thought she heard Corn but her conscience quickly corrected her. There would be no reason for the name Corn to be said._

_She struggled against her bindings, rocking around in the chair. She rocked a little too much and started falling backward. Kyoko braced herself waiting for the slam against the floor, but it never came. The sensation of falling didn't stop and continued endlessly. She tried looking around her but could see nothing. Suddenly, she felt pressure against her back._

* * *

Kyoko sat up straight in bed gasping for air. _Another frightening dream. _She was having them a lot these days. They were different than normal scary dreams. They carried a sense of realism that Kyoko had a hard time shaking.

_Maybe it's the pregnancy? _She thought. She'd heard that pregnant women sometimes had strange dreams as their subconscious mind struggled with the coming reality of motherhood.

Whatever it was, Kyoko had to get ready for work. She got out of bed and got ready for the day.

She thought about Ren while she got dressed and had breakfast. He was jumpy yesterday and the day before that he made it very clear that he didn't like her. If things between them didn't change, the week was going to drag unbearably. Kyoko was determined to make an effort today to work towards repairing their relationship. It was that or be despised all week.

* * *

Ren pulled up to the address of the apartment Kyoko had given him. He was picking her up, and they were going to go straight to talking to friends and family of the victim. He sent her a brief text letting her know he was there. He was determined to be professional towards her without getting close.

She came down a few minutes later looking a bit distracted. She quickly made her way over to the car and got in. Thankfully, it wasn't raining today. They'd be able to get in and out of the car without getting soaked.

Ren pulled away from her home as she buckled up. "Is everything alright?" He asked looking sideways at her.

Kyoko looked up at him in surprise. "Yes, why?"

"You just seem a bit unsettled this morning," he told her shrugging.

"Oh," she said looking down. "I just had another bad dream last night. It takes me time to shake it sometimes." She looked back up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be alright. Don't worry about me. In fact…" she trailed off hesitantly before continuing, "I've thought a lot about what you said about my desire for revenge and it corrupting me."

Ren was shocked to hear the sudden turn of conversation. He wasn't expecting her to bring up the topic. "I never considered the consequences of my feelings and the potential harm of my actions in getting revenge," she said while not looking at him. She was looking down at her feet with her fists balled up in her lap. He could see her ears turning red.

"But," she said finally looking up at him pleading with her eyes, "I want to do a good job on this assignment. Not for revenge, but for myself. I want to do the best I can and create a Kyoko Mogami I can be proud of. One who is reliable and dependable." The pleading in her eyes turned to determination as she spoke fiercely.

"I promise I will give this job everything I have and do the best I can. Not for revenge, but for," she faltered and looked to the side before continuing, "for me."

Ren was taken aback at the outburst but he was pleased to hear it. It was good for her to do her best to improve herself. _Maybe she won't be swallowed up by her feelings of revenge after all._

"Is that so? I'm glad to work with you then," he said to her genuinely meaning it.

He saw her face freeze a moment before she asked, "Who are we going to visit first today?"

"We're going to see the victim's best friend," he told her accepting the change in conversation back to work. "They were supposed to have been hanging out that morning."

Kyoko thought for a minute. "His name was John, right?" Ren nodded in response as she took out a notebook and started writing.

"What are you writing down? We haven't gotten any information from him yet," Ren asked while pulling up to a red light.

"I'm writing down everything I remember about him so I can better understand his responses," Kyoko said while pressing the end of her pen into her chin thinking.

"Oh!" Ren said realizing Kyoko didn't have access to the same program on her phone that he did. He quickly took out his phone, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and handed it to her just as the red light turned green. Kyoko took it a little confused. "Do you see the app called Network?" He asked her.

"Yes," Kyoko said pressing it to open it up.

"Tap on file 1189," Ren instructed her as he continued to drive. He heard her gasp as she opened up the file.

"This is everything we put together yesterday!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"The program we were using has an app. Anything we save on the computer version is accessible by phone as well so long as we have internet access. Just tap on someone's profile and all the information we have on them will pop up," Ren informed her.

The car was quiet for the next several minutes while she went through it reminding herself of everything they put together the day before.

"This is amazing!" She said finally pulling herself away from the information on the phone.

Ren nodded. "We have people in the department who know how to program. They put this together for us to help us keep track of who's who in our cases. It makes organizing our notes a lot easier." It was brilliant. Ren had to hand it to the creators. A lot of people were unsure of it at first. But with time, everyone came to use and love it. Because it made organizing easier, it also saved on time.

"Is this app in the app store? Can I download it as well?" Kyoko asked him excitedly.

"Um," Ren had to think for a moment. "It is in the app store. But you wouldn't be able to do anything with it after downloading it. Once downloaded, it needs a badge number and passcode to log in. This way we ensure only police members have access to the data on it."

"Oh," he heard her say. "That makes sense. It's too bad I can't have access to it too. It would make today a bit easier." She sighed in disappointment.

"Well, you won't need it after this week. For now, you can just borrow the info off my phone," he told her.

"Thanks," she said as she continued going through the data on his phone.

* * *

Kyoko was thrilled by the Network app. It was great in and of itself but it also provided a necessary distraction. If she was looking down at the phone, she didn't have to look at Ren. The smile he gave her earlier, when he said he was happy to work with her, was dangerous. If she hadn't already sworn off love, her heart might have been swayed. It was the first time she had seen someone with such a gorgeous smile and couple it with his handsome face, it was a dangerous combination. She would have to be on guard against future smile attacks from him.

She gave her attention to the app instead of thinking about the man next to her. She could zoom out and see the whole social network they had put together with lines depicting who was connected to who. The victim, Sean Cord, was in the center with his picture. His wife, Kayla Cord, was just below him. A line with a ring reminiscent of a wedding band attached the two. From there, lines went out from the two connecting to other profiles. Every line had at least one designator. A peace sign depicted friendship, a fist meant an enemy, a tie meant a coworker. Some lines had multiple symbols because someone could be a friend and coworker.

They put all this information together yesterday but having access to it on the phone was extremely convenient. If she pressed on a profile, all the data they had on that individual came up. For John, she could see his place of work, his wife's name, and how long he had known the victim according to social media. It was likely they'd known each other longer, but it at least gave them a baseline of a relationship lasting years and not just months. Strangely, the profile also included some info about his food preferences.

"Ugh, why is his favorite food labeled? I didn't think that would be relevant," Kyoko asked as she looked in disgust at what the man's favorite food was.

"It's not relevant," Ren said next to her. "It must have accidentally been copied down when we took the other info off of his social media profile." Kyoko figured it was Ren who did it. She would have remembered coping something so disgusting. She saw him looking at her in amusement. "What's his favorite food?" He asked her.

"Fried frog legs," Kyoko said while making a face of disgust. She heard Ren chuckle beside her.

"It is considered a delicacy, but it's not relevant. Go ahead and delete it," he told her. Kyoko happily obliged. Just looking at the words made her feel queasy. She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to eat such a thing.

"How long before we get there?" Kyoko asked changing the subject. "Actually… where are we meeting him?" As far as she knew, they hadn't talked to John to make plans.

"We're going to his place of work. His workday should have started already," Ren told her. "He might not be there. It's possible he took a few days off in order to grieve the loss of his friend. But Sean worked there too. Even if John isn't at work, we can at least talk to other people and see what we can learn. We'll also be able to get his home address."

"That makes sense," Kyoko responded.

"We're there now," he said as he pulled into a parking lot.

Kyoko handed his phone back to him after he parked the car. "Is there anything I should keep in mind while you are asking people about the victim?" She asked him. She was trying to get used to using the term.

"Just take notes for me really," Ren said after thinking a moment. "It'll help to be able to focus on talking and not have to worry about writing things down."

"That's simple enough," Kyoko said as they got out of the car.

John (and previously Sean) worked at a marketing business called One Source. The building was several floors and shared a parking lot with a few other buildings. Kyoko walked in with Ren. A receptionist was in the lobby and greeted them.

"Is there something I can help you with?" The woman asked them.

Ren showed his badge and told her they were there to speak to a John Walker, and if he wasn't available, the boss of Sean Cord would work.

"One moment please while I check for you," she responded before making a few calls. Ren and Kyoko waited patiently until she was done.

"Mr. Walker is here," the receptionist said turning back to them. "He's on the third floor and is waiting for you."

Ren thanked her for her help and they made their way up to the third floor. A man with a clean-shaven face and sunken eyes greeted them when they stepped off the elevator. He had the same face as the profile of John.

"Are you the detectives? I assume you're here to talk about Sean," the man asked. In addition to his sunken eyes, his shoulders were drooped and his face looked drained. In Kyoko's opinion, the man seemed depressed. _He probably should have stayed home if he's this upset._

"Yes," Ren said stepping up to him. Kyoko followed behind. "I'm detective Ren Tsuruga and this is reporter Kyoko Mogami. She's working with me this week," Ren informed the man.

_That's an easy way to explain my presence I guess. _Kyoko had been wondering what they were going to tell people her role was in all of this. It was unusual for someone not connected to the police department to be following a detective around.

"Oh, nice to meet you both," John said as he shook their hands. "There's a cave over this way we can speak privately in," he told them as he led them down the hall.

"Cave?" Kyoko questioned.

"That's just the office term we use for rooms along the wall that have a door. As you can see, the rest of the office is open," he explained as he motioned for them to go first into the room he led them to and closed the door behind them. "So what do you want to know?" He asked while taking a seat in one of the chairs in the small room. Kyoko and Ren followed suit.

"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt Sean?" Ren started off with.

"Not really, no," John answered. "I've been asking myself that since I heard the news." He brushed his hand through his hair in distress. "I just can't think of anyone. Everyone liked him…I still can't believe…" he trailed off.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Ren said after a moment. "Whoever did it, did it out of anger. Can you think of anyone who might have a reason to hold a grudge against him? Perhaps some recent argument that he had?" Ren asked digging.

John thought for a moment. "No, he never mentioned anything. We're best friends. He would have told me if he got in a big argument with someone. Sean was a big softie, you know. Even if he wasn't in the wrong, he would feel guilty after a big fight and would want to talk about it." John's eyes started to tear up a bit and his nose started to run talking about his friend. "Excuse me," he said while taking a handkerchief out of his pocket.

Ren gave him a few moments to collect himself. "You were with him that morning, correct?"

"Yes, we had both taken the day off from work to go play golf. We played for a few hours, had lunch, then went our separate ways," John told him.

"Do you know what his plans for the evening were or who with?" Ren asked.

"Um," John said thinking. "He mentioned something about spending the rest of the day at home. Getting in some guy time before his wife got home from work."

_What does 'guy time' mean? _Kyoko thought while she took notes.

"Did he mention whether or not anyone would be joining him?" Ren questioned further.

"No, I don't believe so. I'm not sure who would have been free on a workday, to be honest," John said.

"Thank you for your time. That's all the questions I have for right now," Ren said standing up. He reached into his pocket for his wallet and took out a card. "Here is my card in case you think of anything else. Don't hesitate to call me," he told the grieving man.

"Okay," John said taking the card from Ren.

"Let's go, Kyoko," Ren said to her and they headed out of the room.

Kyoko turned toward John before stepping out, "I'm sorry for your loss. Detective Tsuruga will figure out who did this for you." She followed Ren after saying those words.

Once in the elevator, Ren addressed her for what she said. "While I appreciate the vote of confidence, that was a rather dangerous thing you said to him."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked confused. She meant what she said. She knew Ren didn't like her, but she had developed respect for his approach to his work over the last couple of days. She knew he would hunt down the killer.

"For starters, what if I don't find out who did it? Then you just made a promise for me that I can't keep," Ren informed her. Kyoko hadn't thought of that. "In addition, what if he is the killer? You don't want to give anything away to him."

"Oh," Kyoko responded. "I didn't think of those. I have faith that you will find the killer and he doesn't seem the type. He appeared to be genuinely grieving." His tears certainly looked real.

"For now, I agree with you. But that doesn't mean the evidence won't point to him once we've gathered enough. Even a killer can grieve the death of the one they killed. Especially in crimes of passion," Ren advised her.

"I'll…remember that," Kyoko said hesitantly. Having to look at everyone she interacted with as a potential killer was stressful. She didn't like to think of people in that way. She would rather see the good in them.

* * *

They spoke with a few more people that morning before Kyoko informed Ren it was time to get lunch. It was unusual for him to eat lunch every day. He usually forgot about it. But he also wasn't going to complain. The food she gave him the day before was good.

Today was easier on him than yesterday. Now that he processed their past history together, he could interact with her normally. And without Officer Fuwa showing up suddenly, she stayed focused on her task and showed no signs of the grudge she held. He was actually finding himself enjoying working with her.

Kyoko's notes were a huge help. She took hand notes while Ren was questioning people and then added the info to his phone while he drove to the next location. It saved him time. Since she treated him yesterday to something she brought from home, he was going to treat her to lunch today.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked while they got in the car from their final interview in the morning.

"I'm good with anything you would like," she told him.

Ren thought about it for a moment and couldn't help himself as an idea popped into his mind. "How about fried frog legs? It is a delicacy," Ren said with a grin. She was completely disgusted earlier by the idea that it was someone's favorite food. He knew she wouldn't go for it.

"Oh God, please no," she immediately responded as she put her hand out to the dashboard as if to hold herself steady. She looked like the idea was going to make her hurl. _Maybe I should hold back on saying anything that could make her sick. She really has a weak stomach._

"I am so not letting you choose the food," she said looking at him. "There's a good burger joint down the road from here. That will work just fine."

Ren chuckled as he drove the car to the location she specified.

They found a booth easily upon arriving. Kyoko went to the restroom while Ren sat and looked at the menu. He really had no interest in picking something to eat. He would just order whatever she was having. That would make things easy.

He ordered them both water while he was waiting for her to return. She returned soon after and looked over the menu. He saw her eyes sparkle as something she liked caught her eye.

"See something you like?" He asked her.

"Yes! My favorite!" She happily told him. "A Salisbury steak with a sunny-side-up egg!"

Ren had to suppress a smile at her excitement. He hadn't seen someone get this happy over food in a long time. The waitress came by and took their orders.

Ren considered her while they waited for their food. She was adding more notes to his phone from the last interview they did. She had been nibbling all day. It was never a lot at once, just a few bites here and there. He contemplated saying something to her about being careful about how much she ate but decided that wasn't wise. They didn't know each other well enough for him to be talking to her about that subject. Women were VERY touchy about their weight.

The food was quickly delivered to them. He watched her eyes bulge as she looked at her plate. Memories from long ago stirred in his mind. Memories of a little girl picking up rocks saying they all looked like Salisbury steak. He had found a huge rock, bigger than his head, and held it up to her to get her opinion. She bowed to it and called it King Salisbury steak.

Ren struggled to suppress his laughter at the memory. _I haven't thought about that in a long time._

"What's so funny?" Kyoko asked him while digging into her food.

"I've just never seen someone so excited about Salisbury steak before," Ren said covering up his memory. He would never meet that little girl again. No point in reminiscing about it.

"That's too bad," she responded. "They're delicious. People are missing out." Ren raised his hand to his mouth at that last comment. He was hiding his smile behind it. _That was cute,_ he couldn't help thinking.

* * *

The next few days continued much the same. There were a lot of people to talk to and they could only fit so many into one day. They interviewed people in the morning, had lunch, then interviewed more people in the afternoon until the end of the working day.

Finally, it was Friday, the last day they would be working together. Ren had different plans for the afternoon. He wanted to see the other flower marks Kyoko previously mentioned that were related to the kidnappings of the children from before.

He was planning to ask her about it after they finished eating. They were having tacos today. Yesterday it had been pancakes. _She certainly has a wide range of cravings, _he thought. He had come to enjoy having lunch with her. Her enthusiasm for food was cute rather than sickening, unlike his father who easily ate for 50 people at every meal. He also enjoyed the mystery of what the meal was going to be.

After they finished eating, he brought it up with her. "Kyoko, I'd like to go see those other flower marks you had mentioned before. The ones Officer Fuwa couldn't see but led you to find the children."

"That's easy enough. There is one near here actually," she said thinking about it.

"Let's head over then," Ren said taking his card out to pay the bill. He begrudgingly allowed her to pay yesterday, but it was his turn to pay today. He didn't like letting a woman pay for him. He felt it was his responsibility to pay for the meal, but she argued incessantly that it was her turn to pay yesterday. She gave him a look that told him she was a bit uncomfortable with letting him pay, but she kept her mouth shut and let him do it.

They left the restaurant as soon as Ren got his card back. He headed towards his car but Kyoko stopped him by calling out to him, "it'd be faster to walk. It's just a couple of blocks down this way," she said pointing down the road.

Ren followed her to the location she mentioned. It only took them a few minutes to get there. "A young boy was abducted here," she said pointing to an alley. "The mark is here." She put her fingers on the wall showing him where it was.

He walked up to it to get a closer look. She moved out of his way so he could see better. Ren was baffled as to why this symbol would be here. It shouldn't be in the city. No one but he should be able to leave such a mark

"You said all of the kidnapping sites had this?" He asked looking over at her.

Kyoko nodded, "Yes. I can show you another one if you'd like. It would be faster to take the car to that one."

"Yes, please," he told her.

They made their way back to the car. Ren was lost in thought trying to figure out the implications behind the symbol being at crime scenes. He almost walked past his own car. "Ah, Ren?" Kyoko called out to him. "Your car is right here," she told him pointing to it.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I was lost in thought." She just nodded at him and got in the car.

They made their way to the next site. Sure enough, there was another flower mark. He had no doubt he would see this mark at every location just like Kyoko said.

"Where were the children found? Might as well skip to the end," he told her.

"It's about a 15 minute drive from here," she informed him.

"Alright, let's go." Ren wanted to see the location where the children were found. The abduction sites were outside meaning there was no chance of a residual scent being left behind. But the location where the kids were found was inside an abandoned factory. There might be something there that would give him a clue.

Ren drove to an older part of town. It used to be a busy place back when industry was a major part of city life. But that time was long gone. Most of the buildings here were abandoned or lived in by those the city had left behind. It wasn't the safest part of town. "What were you doing here all on your own?" He asked as he pulled up next to the factory she pointed out to him.

"I had left the library after not being successful in finding any clues about the flowers and wandered. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I found myself in this area before I knew it," she told him. Ren glanced at her as he put the car in park. He wasn't happy with the answer that she just wandered into a dangerous area. _She could get herself hurt, _he thought as they got out of the car.

Kyoko walked up to the building and pointed to where the flower was on the building. It was right next to the door. She moved to open it, but Ren stopped her. "The culprit was never found, right? He might still be using this location. It'll be safer if I go first… Actually, why don't you wait in the car." Kyoko looked like she was going to protest. He held up a hand to stop her. "You are not part of the police force. It is dangerous to let you in an area where a criminal might be. Wait in the car with the door locked. I've read the report from Officer Fuwa. I'll be able to find the room the kids were in without your help."

"Fine!" She fumed. She glared at him as she walked back to the car and got inside. He used his key fob to lock it and headed inside.

It was true that it was for her safety that she should stay in the car, but he also wanted the opportunity to look around unhindered. He saw the stairs at the other end of the room and walked over. So far he couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary.

At the top of the stairs, he opened the door that led to the room where the children were found. Visibly, he couldn't see anything special. But he could smell something odd. Even though it had been over a couple of months since the incident, with no air circulation in the room, several scents had clung to the room. There was one, in particular, he picked up that was concerning. It was a scent similar to his father's. Meaning it was someone from back home. But there was no one else…_except…it couldn't be. Why would he turn up now after all these years?_

* * *

A big shout out to my husband for this chapter. He helped me make a couple of necessary changes to make it flow better.

I've seen a few different translations of what the food is that Kyoko is in love with. None of them have ever made much sense to me, to be honest. I went with fried egg burger. If you know of a translation that makes more sense, I'll change it. I've found them all to be equally confusing.

Edit: I changed it to say Salisbury steak after reading the comments. Thanks to those who explained it to me!

In regards to Kyoko's smell becoming more attractive to Ren, that is a natural phenomenon. Partners of pregnant women often find them to be more attractive. It's a hormone thing.

Thanks so much for all the comments. I read them over before writing to give me inspiration. It helps a lot when I'm struggling with a scene.

Thanks for reading!

-Besma0003


	8. Ghost from the Past

Ren had already dropped Kyoko off back at her home and was heading back to the precinct. Since it was her last day, he left her off early. He had some things he wanted to look into on his own anyway. Namely, the case that used a dagger from the same set as his murder weapon. He would see what he could find there and then report to the chief. Not only would he need to tell him what he found out about the daggers (if there even was anything to find out), he needed to tell him about who was likely behind the kidnappings.

Once Ren arrived, he went straight to his desk and went to work reading up on the report of the other case. No murder had occurred in this incident. It wasn't for lack of trying. The victim had several stab wounds all over her body. The man who was accused of the crime was her ex-lover. _That would be plenty enough motive. Especially with a dagger that fills your mind with hate for the person you have a grudge against_, Ren thought to himself.

He kept reading to see if there were any other details of note. Kyoko said her senior asked her to look for similar daggers because he didn't think the man on trial committed the crime. _Why would he think that? All the evidence points to her ex. _The woman herself was of no help in identifying her attacker. She was initially attacked from behind while walking at night. Even though she fought her attacker off, her attention was glued to the knife, not the wielder of the knife.

Her reaction to being attacked was natural. It was rare for a victim to be able to identify their attacker accurately. The phenomenon was called Weapon Focus. Victims zero in on the weapon they are being attacked with and don't pay attention to anything else about the incident. The theory behind it was they are focusing on the immediate threat of the weapon and ignoring anything that did not pose a threat to their life. So details on attackers were often vague and sometimes inaccurate.

Ren wanted to ask Kyoko's senior his thoughts on the case but shouldn't. The case was not a homicide or in his precinct. _But I could ask Kyoko to ask him about it. _Ren pulled out his phone to send her a text.

* * *

Yukihito saw Ren sitting at his desk and made his way over. He wanted to talk to him all week, but the younger man had been out of the office doing interviews every day.

"Ren, it's good to see you in the office finally," he said as he approached. Ren put his phone down as he looked up at Yukihito. "How were things with your shadow?" he asked as he pulled a chair over to sit next to Ren's desk and chat.

"It was fine. She helped out with note-taking mostly. I dropped her off at home before coming here," Ren told him.

"Fine, huh? Are you sure? It seemed like there was something going on when you two came to visit me earlier this week," Yukihito pushed trying to get details from Ren.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked eyeing him wearily.

"Well, you jumped back when she got close to you. The presence of a woman doesn't normally affect you," Yukihito wasn't going to pull any punches. He'd known Ren since the younger man moved to the city and mentored him a bit about how things worked around here. They didn't work the same job, so Ren's actual mentor had been someone different. That didn't stop Yukihito from taking Ren under his wing to show him city living.

"I did?" Ren asked innocently. "I think you must have been mistaken. We worked together just fine all week," Ren told him while smiling. Yukihito knew that smile well. It was the one Ren used when he was trying to hide something. When that smile appeared, it wasn't possible to get any more details out of him.

"If you say so," Yukihito told him. He would have to keep a close eye on Ren whenever Kyoko came around again to see if he could learn anything. "So what did you come back to look into then without Kyoko?" He asked changing the subject.

"A case that used a similar dagger to the one in my homicide. I was looking for any possible connections," Ren informed him.

"Did you find any?" Yukihito asked. Ren shook his head. "Did they find any details about the origin of the knife? I've been looking into the background of the whole set and haven't had any luck. None of the blacksmiths I've gotten into contact with are familiar with the craftsmanship."

"As far as I can tell, they didn't look into it. It was just a knife that was part of a crime scene. They didn't know it was part of a set. They had no reason to find out more about it," Ren told him. It was true that the origin of weapons usually didn't matter so long as there was no reason to believe that it was obtained illegally. It was just so odd for daggers from the same set to be used in crimes so close together.

"Well, do you have any leads on who your perp is?" Yukihito asked. Ren was the best in the precinct, probably the whole city. He would track down the killer one way or another.

"I have an inkling but no proof yet," Ren said sitting back in his chair and sighing.

"I have my report written up on the crime scene. Let me go get it for you. Hopefully, it'll give you that lead you're looking for." Yukihito said as he got up to head back to the lab.

"Ah, thanks. I'll wait here for you," Ren responded as he sat there thinking about something that he wasn't going to share with Yukihito.

* * *

It had been a long day for Rori. The 17th precinct had a ceremony he attended. Those were always so exhausting but part of the gig. He would head home after Ren came by. The young detective texted him earlier to let him know he had new information. He couldn't divulge any details over text in case their phones were compromised. No one knew about magic and curses. It had to stay that way.

He was at his desk looking over reports that each precinct had sent him for their week's work. Every Friday he got a report detailing the progress on investigations, any disciplinary issues, and anything else his officers felt was of note. Everything was pretty standard this week. Nothing stood out to him as needing special attention.

A knock on his door brought his head up as Ren entered the room. "Ren, it's about time you got here. I was about to fall asleep from reading these reports," Rori said as he put the paperwork he was reading to the side. He took his reading glasses off and stood up to stretch some.

"Sorry, I wanted to look into a couple of things before coming to see you," Ren told him as he took the seat in front of the captain's desk.

Rori stretched his arms up over his head as he said, "it's fine. As tedious as it is, reading those reports is part of my job anyways." Rori leaned up against the side of the desk after coming out of his stretch. He was done sitting for now. He needed to be on his feet. "So what did you find out?"

"As far as the daggers go, the current cases we have aren't related in any way. And we have no information on where they came from. But there is a problem in regards to that kidnapping case," Ren told his captain and paused. He looked nervous. There wasn't a lot that could make Ren nervous. Whatever was going on likely wasn't good.

"Oh?" Rori asked lifting his eyebrows.

"I had Kyoko take me to a couple of the abduction sites this afternoon. Sure enough, that symbol was there. It was also at the location they were found. Right next to the door leading inside," Ren said.

"Sounds almost like someone was trying to lead you to find them," Rori said contemplatively.

"Or they were used as bait," Ren said sighing. His captain looked at him in shock as Ren got out of his seat and paced to the back of the room only to pace back to his chair before continuing. "I went into the room the kids were found in. It has no air circulation because it's been abandoned which means scents from when the kids were there are still around." Ren's words were coming out in a rush. Something really had him spooked.

"Ren, what did you smell?" Rori prodded.

"...it smelled a little like Dad," Ren finally said.

"Your father? He's not in town. And even if he was, he wouldn't be abducting children." Rori was a bit confused as to where Ren was going with this.

"It smelled like him but wasn't his exact scent. Which means it was someone from our people…" he trailed.

"But that's not possible. Your family is the last. It's just you and your dad," Rori said as he started to feel a tinge of panic and stood up straight.

"You know that's not entirely true…his body was never found…" Ren said looking at his captain. His eyes conveyed the heartbreak of a four-year-old child who made a simple mistake that ended in tragedy.

"You don't mean?" Rori asked shocked.

"There's no other explanation," Ren said softly. "He's the only other one who could leave that scent behind and those symbols."

Rori walked slowly over to his chair and slid into it. "This is…" he didn't know what to say. For that person to show back up again, nothing good would come of it. Rori looked at Ren in front of him. He was still standing looking down. "If it really is him, can you handle it? I can call Kuu to come help with this if need be."

Ren looked up at him in shock. "I can handle it. It's my responsibility anyway," he said determinedly.

"Are you sure?" Rori asked. "You keep having the look of a kicked puppy on your face." Rori didn't doubt Ren's abilities. But the person they were talking about was not to be taken lightly and was a source of trauma for Ren. It was likely he wouldn't be able to perform at his best against this individual.

Ren gave him a pained smile as he cocked his head, "I'm sure. I'm an adult now. I don't need my dad's help."

"Alright, I'll leave it in your hands for now. Keep me updated…actually…is it possible those murder cases are related to him? Rori asked remembering the string of murders they had that evidence suggested was done by a pack of dogs.

"It would make sense," Ren said confirming his suspicions.

"Damn!" Rori exclaimed. "None of those cases are in your jurisdiction so I can't assign you to them. Hopefully, the next one will be." Rori jumped at his own words and rested his head in his hand sighing. "I can't believe I'm saying 'I hope the next murder' anything. But the truth is no one else in the city can handle it, and I can't put you on this case without arousing suspicion."

"I know, but if he truly is trying to lure me out, it won't take long for him to make it to my precinct. And there's no other reason for him to be here. I have no doubt I am his target." The look of determination was back on Ren's face.

"Right," Rori said sliding his hand off his face. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to wait for him to make his next move."

"Yes," Ren responded.

Rori found himself sighing again. "Is there anything else you have to report to me?"

"No, sir. That's it." Ren told him.

"Good, I don't think I could handle any more news from you tonight," Rori told him.

Ren gave a hollow chuckle, "Can't say I blame you."

"Alright, go home. Get some rest," Rori said dismissing him.

"Yes, sir," Ren said before leaving the room.

As soon as Ren closed the door behind him, Rori flopped his arms and head onto his desk. _What am I going to do with him? _Letting Ren handle this situation alone was risky. Even in top form, it would be dangerous but Ren wasn't in top form. He never learned how to properly control himself due to his trauma. What he needed was a partner for Ren. Someone who could keep an eye on him and report to Rori if anything seemed unusual about the young man's behavior.

At that thought, Rori remembered the plans Lori had for the shadows he had going around the city right now. _That might work. _He quickly grabbed his phone to call his brother. They would meet up this weekend. Rori would tell him what was going on and together they would come up with a plan to keep an eye on Ren.

* * *

Kyoko was glad to be home. As soon as Ren dropped her off, she collapsed on her bed and passed out. She was just now waking up at dinner time. She was finding herself getting tired easily during the day. _Must be the pregnancy._

Fatigue was one of the symptoms listed on the paperwork the hospital had given her. Even though she was only in the first trimester, it was taking its toll on her. She was starting to feel nauseous during the day. Not enough to actually get sick, but enough to be a disturbance. She found nibbling on something helped. _Ren must have thought I was a pig eating nonstop like I was._

Thankfully, he never once mentioned it. In fact, she was suspicious he was enjoying the times they had lunch together.

_Strange. When the week started, he hated me. He said right to my face I was a bother to work with. But by the end of the week, we were enjoying our meals together…I liked working with him. _She was impressed by his professionalism. He focused on his work and truly cared about the victims and those they left behind. Ren tracked down every lead to make sure he had all the answers and didn't accuse someone innocent.

She had heard stories of detectives who would quickly make assumptions about guilt and go after the wrong person. Sometimes, the innocent individual even got convicted. It was a big controversy that caused rioting at times. Especially when innocence was proven years later. That had not happened since she moved to the city, but she saw it on the news from time to time growing up.

But Ren wasn't that kind of detective. He was sincere, and she learned a lot from him and not just about homicides. The lecture he gave her at the beginning of the week about her plans for revenge still weighed on her mind. Would she still be filled with rage the next time she saw Sho?

At that thought, a little grudge demon immediately popped out. Jack wasted no time in pouncing on it.

_Seems like I would. _The grudge demon was a good sign that her rage hadn't cooled any. _Will I disgrace myself and bring others down with me while I try to bring that slimeball down?_ It was depressing to think about. Comparing her motives and darkness to the purity she saw in Ren left her feeling worthless. _Can I change? Can I be more like him? Someone who works for the sake of others? _She didn't know if she could do it. But she wanted to try. If she was lucky, she would be able to interact with Ren more. Perhaps he would rub off on her and she could become a better person.

She had no plans to change her mind about love. She still refused to have anything to do with that useless emotion. It was the one that left her abandoned and empty. Those feelings drove her into the arms of a stranger which left her pregnant. Everything negative in her life was caused by love. No, never again. Love would never be a part of her life.

And the pregnancy was a negative thing. While she didn't want to get an abortion because it wasn't the child's fault, she still didn't want him or her. She wasn't capable of being a mother. She was probably even less capable of being a mother than she was of being a lover. And pregnancy itself was no joke. She felt the physical effects on her body every day. _I get sick every morning. I've started to feel nauseous during the day. And now fatigue is starting to kick in. How many more symptoms am I going to have to deal with?_

She hated being pregnant already. She couldn't imagine how she was going to get through the pregnancy, let alone prevent anyone from finding out about it.

Kyoko groaned into her pillow in frustration. The next several months were going to be incredibly difficult.

At that moment, Kyoko heard her phone going off in her purse. She grunted as she pushed herself up off her bed and grabbed her purse. She pulled her phone out and saw a text from Kanae asking if she had plans for tomorrow. Kyoko thought for a brief moment before responding. She needed to go shopping to find clothes to hide her pregnancy in. But she wasn't going to tell Kanae _why _she needed new clothes. Kanae didn't respond right away to Kyoko's text so she decided to think about making dinner. Her stomach was getting antsy again. _Ugh, making food sounds like so much work….I'll just order pizza._

* * *

Kyoko was slow getting out of bed the next morning. She didn't have any obligations so there was no need to rush. She laid in bed for a while petting Jack. He slept next to her throughout the night. He was a good kitty. She couldn't ask for a better companion.

Eventually, she decided to move and got out of bed. She made her normal breakfast and showered. Kyoko was feeling well this morning. Getting up slowly seemed to agree with her stomach. She hadn't felt any nausea yet.

It had been a while since she cleaned. So she pulled out some supplies and gave a quick scrub down to the surfaces in her home. She was putting everything away when her doorbell rang. _Who would be visiting me?_

Kyoko walked over to her door and looked through the peephole. Kanae and Rika were standing there. Kyoko was shocked to see the other two women. _Why are they here?_ She quickly opened the door to greet them.

"Took you long enough," Kanae said with her arms folded. "Are you going to let us in or what?"

"O-of course," Kyoko said stumbling. She invited them both in still trying to figure out what was going on. Neither had ever visited her. She didn't know Rika that well and Kanae wasn't the visiting type.

Kanae brushed past her, took a brief look around the room and sat on the edge of Kyoko's bed. Rika came in more hesitantly giving Kyoko a quick smile. She chose to stand after realizing there wasn't anywhere to sit near Kanae other than on the bed.

Kyoko closed the door behind them and looked at her two guests as she asked, "What's going on?"

Kanae leveled a gaze at Kyoko as she said, "We are here to find out what's going on with you. We both know you weren't feeling well earlier this week and that it wasn't a simple illness."

* * *

I wanna clear something up real quick in case anyone is confused by it. I wrote it as Ren was able to smell someone similar to his dad instead of himself because you can't smell yourself. You might be able to pick up a whiff of your body odor sometimes but that's it. So Ren wouldn't be able to recognize his own scent or anyone who smelled like him.

This was a much easier chapter to write than the last few. It was nice not to struggle over it.

I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. There will be plenty of fluffy Kyoko and Ren scenes to come down the line, but for now, their interactions are over. I know it's sad. Thinking about it makes me not want to write as much. But this next section is important...I just gotta figure out the details. I know what I want the end result to be but not how to get there. I have a lot of thinking to do.

Thanks to those who explained Kyoko's favorite food to me. I didn't realize it was a regular dish that she was talking about. I thought she had just come up with something random. And I forgot scrambled eggs was one of the translations for that dish as well...yeah, I've been confused over this for like a decade. Thanks for explaining it to me! Anyone else who is confused by this should check the comments for last chapter. Kaname671 and a Guest did a good job explaining it. For that reason, I've gone back and changed it to Salisbury steak to Americanize it to match the story.

Never let your bad English or writing skills stop you from commenting. I love all your comments! I haven't had one yet that I didn't enjoy reading. Comments from babblers are especially entertaining. And if your skills in English aren't good enough to be understood, write in your native language. Google can translate all big languages. It might struggle with more obscure languages (ones where only a few thousand can speak it). The Guest who explained the food, your English was easy to understand, no need to worry about it.

Mimagfan: I'm glad you feel a mysterious, angsty atmosphere from the story. I struggled so much with the last chapter because I felt it didn't fit that tone. Your comment makes me very happy!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

-Besma0003

P.S. Thank my husband for the cliff hanger. I was going to end it at Kyoko getting pizza, but my husband said I needed a better cliff hanger.


	9. Girl Talk

Kanae was glad to finally be home. It was a long week. Working with Hiou and his grandfather was great. She learned an immense amount from them. Working with the other guy in the office was exhausting. He hounded her constantly trying to get attention. He was under the impression that he was God's greatest gift to women. He refused to take the hint that she didn't want to have anything to do with him. But there was no doubt he was good at his job so she did her best to play nice even though all she really wanted to do was punch him.

She sighed deciding it was best to put her week behind her. She lived in a small apartment: one bedroom, one bath. It was enough for her. And most importantly, she lived here alone. No one would come running at her flinging their wants at her. No one would demand money from her. She could relax and be herself.

Her phone began ringing in her purse so she took it out to see who was calling. _Rika? She's never called me before. _Kyoko, Rika, and Kanae all exchanged numbers when they first started working together. Kyoko contacted her a lot but Rika never did. During their time of training, they mostly worked independently and didn't have much opportunity to collaborate. Nor did they hang out much. Kanae only hung out with Kyoko because the other woman had wormed her way into her heart. They bonded during the trials they went through to get hired. Kanae couldn't tell Kyoko no or ignore her like she could everyone else in her life.

Kanae answered the phone putting it on speaker so she could lie in bed without having to hold the phone. "What's up, Rika? I wasn't expecting you to call."

"Uh, nothing much. I just wanted to ask if Kyoko is okay," Rika said over the phone.

"Why don't you call her and ask? She's an adult. She can speak for herself." Kanae didn't take Rika for the type to gossip. It was odd for her not to ask Kyoko directly.

"I was going to but…I didn't want to make it awkward for her. She might feel obligated to tell me what's going on if I ask. I just want to make sure she's okay. I don't have to know the details." Rika sounded nervous and unsure._ Ah, so she was taking Kyoko's straightforwardness into account._

"She's okay. She just had some anemia and dehydration. All she has to do is eat and drink properly and she'll be fine," Kanae told her. Had Kyoko said something more was going on Kanae would have kept it secret. But a lot of people suffered from anemia and anyone could fall prey to dehydration. Neither was a big deal if handled properly.

"Really? That's it?" Kanae heard Rika say.

"Why? Do you think there's something more going on?" Kanae's eyes narrowed. She thought something more was going on too judging by Kyoko's demeanor when they left the hospital, but Rika wasn't there when that happened. What would make Rika think something more was happening?

"Well, it's just…That day that she passed out, I found her puking in the bathroom that morning. I didn't think either of those things caused vomiting," Rika said.

"She was throwing up?" Kanae asked surprised.

"Yes, she ran into the bathroom first thing when she got to work," Rika told her. _So there is something more going on! _"I guess I should just call her and ask then. But I don't want to pry too much at the same time," Rika continued.

"Don't call her," Kanae said. A plan was forming in her mind. "I'll send you an address to meet me at tomorrow. We'll find out together what's going on."

* * *

Kanae was sitting on Kyoko's bed as she leveled a gaze at Kyoko and said, "We are here to find out what's going on with you. We both know you weren't feeling well earlier this week and that it wasn't a simple illness."

_Yikes! _Kyoko thought. _How am I going to get out of this one? _"W-what do you mean?" Kyoko stammered. "I was just having a bit of anemia and dehydration. It's nothing to worry about."

"Kyoko," Rika said from where she was standing, "Neither of those things cause vomiting. You were sick that morning. Please, let us help you." Kyoko never had much opportunity to get to know Rika. She didn't know she was such a nice girl. She felt touched briefly before her panic returned as she tried to figure a way out of her current situation.

"I just ate something bad that morning and then was dehydrated later. It's not a big deal. I was just super unlucky that day," Kyoko said as she put her hands in front of her trying to wave the concerns of the other two off.

"Kyoko, you suck at lying," Kanae said from the bed. Kyoko looked in shock at her friend. It was that moment that she knew she wasn't getting out of this. She would have to fess up. The tension her body had been holding in all week since she heard the news broke. Her shoulders slumped and her legs gave out as she slid to the floor. _This is it. I'll tell them and they'll want nothing more to do with me. _Kyoko couldn't stop the tears as they rolled down her face. She brought her hands up to hide them and ended up crying even harder.

"Woah!" She heard Rika say beside her.

"Let's get her onto the bed," Kanae said from her other side. The two helped Kyoko stand up and sit on the bed. Rika grabbed the roll of toilet paper from the bathroom for Kyoko to use as tissues. "What's going on?" Kanae said worriedly sitting beside her.

"I…I," Kyoko couldn't get much out between her sobs. Jack jumped up on the bed purring trying to get attention while she was in a frantic state. His antics caused her to get a couple of laughs through her tears as she briefly petted him. "Jack, now really isn't the time," Kyoko said as tears continued to slide down her cheeks, but at least she was in control of her voice now.

"Are you really that sick?" Kanae asked beside her. "Did the doctor tell you you have cancer or some other life-threatening condition?" Kyoko's heart broke. Kanae thought she was going to die. _I can't keep this from her. I'd rather have her hate me than make her sad._

Rika was sitting on the other side of Kyoko silently watching while holding Kyoko's hand for encouragement. Kanae grabbed the other one off of Jack begging for an answer.

"I'm not sick," Kyoko managed to say.

"Of course you are!" Kanae roared causing Kyoko to flinch. "What else could be going on?"

"I'm," Kyoko took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm pregnant." She closed her eyes not daring to look at either of their faces. She didn't want to face them. Didn't want to see them filled with hate over her foolishness. She put herself in this position. There was no one to blame but herself.

Because Kyoko's eyes were closed, she didn't see the look of shock on the other two's faces. They looked at each other briefly before Kanae dove in giving Kyoko a hug. Rika stroked her back in encouragement.

"Thank God!" Kanae said as she wrapped her arms around Kyoko. "I was so afraid you had some incurable disease or something. When you walked out of the hospital you looked like you had been given a death sentence." Kyoko opened her eyes in shock to look at the other two women. Both were comforting her. Neither was looking at her judgmentally. Neither was scolding her.

"I-I don't understand," she stammered. "I thought you would hate me."

Kanae pulled back from the hug she was giving Kyoko to look at her confused. "Why would we hate you for being pregnant?"

"Because I'm single and am a loose woman," Kyoko said looking down. She couldn't bear to look into her friend's eyes. The shame was too great.

"Kyoko," Rika spoke up from the other side, "this is the 21st century. Women get pregnant out of wedlock. It's not unusual. That's what happens when society gets comfortable with the idea of sex outside of marriage. There's no reason to feel ashamed about it." Kyoko looked up at Rika surprised. It never occurred to her that people wouldn't judge her for being pregnant. Back home, girls who got pregnant outside of marriage became pariahs. Their big bellies acting like their very own scarlet letter. Apparently, it was different in the city.

"I thought I would be judged for it, that I might even lose my job," Kyoko said looking back and forth at both of her friends.

"Well, you will be judged by those who don't know you. That is unfortunately how it works. But those who do know you won't care," Rika told her.

"Why would you lose your job?" Kanae asked her. "You know our crazy boss is a love fiend. He's more likely to throw you a baby shower than fire you." Kanae had a point. Lori Takarada was obsessed with love.

"So you really don't mind?" Kyoko asked them. She needed the reassurance that she wasn't an awful human being.

"Of course not!" Kanae snapped at her. "I don't care if you're pregnant. But who's the father? It seems I need to give him a piece of my mind since he isn't taking care of you."

"Ah," Kyoko looked down again in embarrassment. "That's…complicated," was all she could come up with.

"Is it that douche you were dating before we met?" Kanae asked her.

"No!" Kyoko yelled. She couldn't imagine being pregnant with Sho's child. Just the thought of it made her feel nauseous. She dreamed of it once, but she had wised up since then.

"Who is it then?" Rika asked a bit confused. She didn't know the story of Sho like Kanae did.

"Someone else I met," Kyoko said bashfully. "It was a one night stand." Her face was burning from embarrassment.

"Well, I don't recommend one night stands, but they are a thing. It's not that big a deal. Have you not told him you got pregnant from your time together?" Kanae asked.

"I can't," Kyoko told them. "I don't know who he is. We met on a stormy night. We both took shelter in an abandoned warehouse and were drunk. I don't even know what he looks like or his name. I could bump into him on the street and not even know it's him." Kyoko kept her head down the entire time she was telling her story. It was the most embarrassing thing she'd ever had to fess up to.

"Are you crazy?!" Kanae yelled. _I knew it. She'll hate me now. _"What if he had been some psychopath? What normal person hangs out in an abandoned warehouse? He could have hurt you! You could have been mugged! You could have been raped!… Hang on, were you raped?" Kanae asked her seriously.

"Um," Kyoko thought about that night for a moment before answering. She remembered the excessive heat his body gave off. It felt good against her drenched, cold body. She remembered leaning into his shoulder as she cried and his hands on her while they had sex. "No, no, it was mutual," Kyoko said. Her face was red now for an entirely different reason than earlier.

"That's good to hear," Rika said. "It would be awful if had raped you and we had no way of making him pay for his crime."

"Seriously though, you can't wander around like that. Something really bad could have happened to you," Kanae said pulling her into another hug. _She's not mad that I had sex with a stranger but that I could have been hurt? _It was a bit confusing for Kyoko. She didn't have any friends outside of Sho growing up. The guys weren't interested in her and the girls were too jealous of her relationship with Sho to get close. She'd never had a friend who genuinely cared for her well being. The tears started flowing again. Having someone care more about her wellbeing more than her actions was overpowering.

"Hey, it's okay. We're here through this with you," Kanae said while still hugging her.

"It-it's not that," Kyoko choked out after a sob. "I've never had someone care about me so much. I feel overwhelmed." Kanae hugged her tighter and Rika joined in on the hug as well. The three sat there like that until Kyoko calmed down.

Rika and Kanae pulled away when Kyoko finally stopped sobbing. She used the toilet paper to blow her nose and wipe her eyes. She really should get some real tissues for her apartment. She noticed Kanae and Rika grab their own 'tissues' and wipe at their eyes.

"Thank you," Kyoko whispered to them.

"What are best friends for?" Kanae said while looking away.

"Actually," Kyoko said while thinking. "Rika, we've never gotten close. Why are you here?" She hadn't thought about it before but it was strange for her to be here. They were acquaintances more than friends. Why would she care so much about what was going on with Kyoko? "Not that I mind," Kyoko rushed to say so that she wouldn't get the wrong idea. "It's just a little odd for you to care so much about me."

"About that," Rika said a bit sheepishly before forcefully saying, "I've always wanted to be close friends with you two! But you had already gotten close by the time we started working so it was hard for me to insert myself into your friendship. Plus, Kanae isn't easy to approach. And you were always running around, Kyoko. I had a hard time finding the opportunity. I really do want to be close friends!" She told them desperately.

"Why?" Was all Kyoko could say. No one had ever wanted to be close to her before. Even with Kanae, she had forced their friendship.

"Because we work together and you both seem like really nice people…do I need a reason more than that?" Rika asked them looking confused.

"Ah, no," Kyoko responded. "I'm just not used to people wanting to be friends with me." After another moment, Rika's words sunk in and Kyoko jumped at her to give her a hug. "I'd love to be close friends!" Rika returned the hug smiling.

"You really should have just said something," Kanae said from behind Kyoko. "I already have this one to deal with, adding another friend won't make a difference. Besides, you seem like less trouble than this one," Kanae said while pointing to Kyoko.

"Hey!" Kyoko said pulling out of her hug with Rika and looking back to glare at Kanae. All three burst into laughter with that.

"So you haven't told us yet what your plans are," Kanae said after a few moments bringing the conversation back to Kyoko.

"My plans?" Kyoko asked confused.

"Your pregnancy," Rika responded. "What are you going to do about the baby?"

"Oh, right," Kyoko said coming back to the reality of her situation. "I have an appointment with my doctor next week to discuss it more, but I'm going to go through with the pregnancy and put the baby up for adoption."

"That's a mature decision," Rika said after thinking on it for a moment. "I don't know if I could do that."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked.

"Just that pregnancy is tough. I can't imagine going through with a pregnancy when I wasn't planning on keeping the baby. What makes pregnancy and labor worth it is the cute, cuddly baby you get to keep after," Rika told her.

"I don't think I would go through with pregnancy at all," Kanae said. "Kids are a nuisance. And so are families for that matter."

"I just can't find it in me to punish the child for my mistake. It was my choice to have sex that night. Why does the baby have to die because of it? But I also can't be a mother. That's out of the question. So adoption is the only option left," she told them.

"Why can't you be a mother?" Rika asked her.

"I just can't," Kyoko responded while looking down with a pained expression on her face.

"Okay," Rika said dropping it for Kyoko's sake.

"So when are you planning to tell everyone your pregnant?" Kanae said changing the subject.

"I was hoping not too. I was going to go shopping today to buy baggy clothes to hide the pregnancy." Kyoko said while looking back up.

"Will that work?" Kanae said looking at her.

"I don't know. It's a long shot I think. Especially as my belly gets bigger. But I don't want to tell people about it," Kyoko told her.

"You can certainly try it that way," Rika said while thinking. "But you could also come up with an alternative story behind your pregnancy."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked her.

"Well, you could say you're being a surrogate mother or that you were artificially inseminated." Rika offered up.

"I didn't think about that," Kanae said while contemplating it.

"How would that help?" Kyoko asked them.

"Both of those options hold less negative stigma around them. People would be less judgemental about your pregnancy," Rika explained.

"...why? I'd still be pregnant," Kyoko said.

"It's not really the pregnancy that people will judge but what led to it. Being a surrogate mother is sacrificing yourself for someone else to have a kid. Getting artificially inseminated holds the connotation that you are dedicated to the idea of children and are serious about it. Whereas pregnancy from a one night stand holds a negative stigma. It's that negative stigma that makes you not want to tell people right?" Rika asked her.

"I guess. If I tell people I'm pregnant, they'll want to know the father like you both did and the answer isn't a good one. I don't know and have no way of finding out," Kyoko said starting to follow where Rika was going with this.

"Right, so if we change the circumstances behind the pregnancy, people will be less judgy about it," Rika explained.

"Wait, it sounds like the reason a one night stand has a negative connotation to it is that she had sex. In the other two options, science got her pregnant," Kanae said looking a bit peeved.

The other two women looked at her contemplatively as they mulled over what she said. "You're right," Rika finally said. "There is a stigma about women having sex outside of marriage. Even though men are praised for it and need a female partner in order to have sex, women are not socially encouraged to participate. When she gets pregnant, she faces judgment from those around her. Even those who have nothing to do with her."

Kyoko took in what both of her friends said. "I don't think I like that," she told them finally. "It makes me angry that I have to change the story of what happened just to make people accept me more."

"It does seem rather shitty," Kanae said. "I'm also not sure either story would work. Normally, people only surrogate mother for those they are close to. Kyoko doesn't have anyone who would need her to do such a thing. And the artificial insemination story wouldn't work either. She doesn't plan to keep the baby. I suppose you could always say the baby was stillborn, but then you would be getting condolences from everyone and that would be incredibly awkward I would imagine," Kanae finished.

"You have some good points," Rika told her.

"That's all true," Kyoko said. "But even without all that, I'm not sure I would want to go along with a fake story. I don't like the idea of lying just to get people to accept me," Kyoko was quiet for a moment before continuing. "I think I'd rather shove it in people's faces and dare them to look down on me," Kyoko told her friends.

"Wow…," Rika said from beside her. "You're amazing! I knew it was worth getting close to you. Let's teach those judgemental people that we don't care what they think!" She yelled with a fist pump.

"Sounds good to me," Kanae said. "I don't care much for people anyways. I'm down with teaching them to hold their tongues when they have nothing good to say."

"That all said," Kyoko said a bit sheepishly. "I think I would like to keep it quiet for now. I only just found out this past week about it myself. I would still like some time to get used to it before trying to make social statements," she told her friends.

"That's fair," Rika responded.

"Yeah," Kanae said. "Should we go get you some clothes then to hide your growing belly for now?"

Kyoko turned to her best friend amazed. "You would go clothes shopping with me?!"

"Don't get used to it! It's just this once," Kanae said while blushing.

"I love shopping!" Rika said. "Let's do it!"

* * *

Kyoko arrived home later that night exhausted. It was a good kind of exhaustion. She had fun with her friends all day and got some new clothes. Plus, her friends now knew what was going on with her. It was like a huge weight was lifted off her chest with them knowing. She didn't realize how much she had been dying to tell someone what was going on with her. It felt good not to have her secret to herself. Kanae and Rika would support her through the months ahead even if everyone else gave her a hard time over her pregnancy.

They shared their stories throughout the week of who they had worked with and what the work was like. Kanae had worked in the Mayor's office. Rika was at a church all week working with the person in charge of outreach for the poor.

Kyoko would be heading to the church next, Rika to the mayor's office, and Kanae to work with Ren. Kyoko made sure to fill Kanae in on everything that happened so far with the case.

She was excited to start her new week. Shadowing Ren was enlightening and she enjoyed the experience. But now she was going to experience something entirely new. Rika said she would be helping with the church blog as well as the outreach program.

Kyoko pulled out her laptop and started researching the church and the local area to get a head start on her week. She found news articles relating to the neighborhood. It had drug and prostitution problems. The church was working hard with other organizations in the area to turn things around. The police were also involved in the efforts. She saw some pictures with men and women in uniforms. She continued to scroll through the article she was reading when something caught her eye.

She grabbed the screen with both hands and brought it up close to her face to double-check what she saw. Sure enough. She would never mistake that profile. Kyoko read the caption of the picture to get context and she found the name she was looking for but dreading to see: Officer Sho Fuwa of the Vice Division.

* * *

I made a huge mistake in the last chapter. Thanks to those who pointed it out. I fixed it as soon as I saw the comments. For those who read it with the mistake, Kuon should have read as Kuu. Kuon and Ren are the same person in this story. The line should have read as, "Rori looked at Ren in front of him who was still standing looking down. "If it really is him, can you handle it? I can call Kuu to come help with this if need be.""

Hope that clears up any misunderstandings people had.

Several chapters ago a guest commented that Kyoko should pretend to be a surrogate. While that wasn't something I was planning to write in the story, it did get my mind thinking and inspired part of the conversation the girls have in this chapter.

I'm in need of a second beta reader. My husband is unfortunately swamped with work right now and struggling to review the chapters for me on a weekly basis. I would like to blitz for a week or two writing as much as I can to move the story along. If I'm able to do that, I'd be able to post 2 or 3 chapters a week. But I need someone to review what I write for that to work out. My husband won't be able to do it. If you read with a critical eye (especially in regards to content more than grammar), let me know if you would be interested in beta reading for me.

I've added a channel to my server in discord for giving recommendations for reading. I don't know about you all, but I have several dozen stories I'm waiting on the next chapter for. It's nice to have completed works to be able to read through. I've dropped 4 stories so far in there that are completed works. I'll keep adding them as I think of some. And you all are welcome to recommend your favorite stories as well. The invite link is /AsGG9AF (also permanently on my profile so you can easily join later if you don't want to now).

My husband gave me a recommendation for how Ren finds out about Kyoko's pregnancy. I'm not going to use his idea since I have something very specific in mind for that event. But it is going to be a while before he finds out and I know everyone is eager for that event. To sate everyone's desire until it happens in the story, I think it would be fun for you to share your ideas. You can do it in the comment section or join discord to discuss your ideas with me and others. I'll drop my husband's idea in discord as well.

Thanks for reading! And remember, comments are an author's lifeblood.

-Besma0003


	10. Working at the Church

It was Monday morning and Kyoko was almost at the church. She was taking the bus as usual. After her discovery that Sho now worked in Vice and was assigned to the area she was going to work in, she was anxious. The last thing she wanted to do was meet him. Hopefully, they would never cross paths.

Kyoko got off at the stop in front of the church and headed for the door. It was locked but there was a buzzer next to it. She pressed it and informed the receptionist that she was there from LoveME. She was allowed in and greeted by a slender woman with huge breasts.

"You must be Kyoko. I'm Haruki Asami. I'll be the one working with you this week," Haruki said holding her hand out to shake hands.

"H-hi," Kyoko responded taking her hands. The huge breasts caught her off guard and she couldn't help but self compare. Her breasts would never be that big. Haruki had long, light brown hair that she kept in a ponytail and wore glasses. She was a beautiful woman with a classy taste in clothes. She was wearing a business casual skirt and blouse. Kyoko would never be able to pull off the classy, businesswoman look.

"I'll give you a quick tour of the church first. Then we'll head to my office and I'll give you a rundown of what you'll be doing this week," Haruki told her. Kyoko followed along. The church had a soup kitchen where they served a meal once a week, a chapel for worship for the members, classrooms and a library for Sunday School for the children, and offices on the second floor for the staff members. It was a decent-sized church with a big commons area. Kyoko had no doubt the large space was used for many events.

Haruki ended the tour at her office and invited Kyoko in. "Did Rika tell you anything about her time here?" She asked.

"A little bit. She said I would be helping with the church blog and with outreach programs," Kyoko told her.

"That sums it up pretty well," Haruki said. "My role here is as the leader of the Justice and Peace Ministry. It's the ministry for all of our outreach programs like the soup kitchen you saw earlier," Haruki informed her as she sat down and invited Kyoko to take a seat.

"What other programs do you have?" Kyoko asked her.

"We are in charge of street cleanup for this stretch of the road for once a month, partner with a local school to help them raise funds, and act as a source of knowledge for resources in the area. That's what we focus on year-round but there are small events that come up throughout the year that we work on too like food baskets for major holidays and baby bottle drives to raise money for new mothers," she told Kyoko.

"That's a lot," Kyoko said.

"It is, but we're in the process of rethinking our programs. We've been working on it for a few years but we still have a lot of work to do," Haruki said while thinking.

"What do you mean? What is there to rethink?" Kyoko asked.

"What does charity mean to you?" Haruki asked her.

Kyoko thought for a minute before responding. "I guess it's giving to others in their time of need until they get back up on their feet," Kyoko told her.

"And how would you measure the success of such charity?" Haruki asked her further.

"Measure it?" Kyoko asked. She was silent for a few moments before speaking further. "If you've provided for all the needy in your area then that would be a success wouldn't it?"

"That is the traditional thinking, but it's been shown to be flawed," Haruki said leaning forward with her elbows on the desk. "We tend to measure the success of charity by the actions of the giver rather than the impact on the receiver. For example, if your goal is to collect a box of hats and gloves to hand out during the cold winter, two boxes would be an even greater success. But what about those receiving the hats and gloves? Do they already have items to keep them warm? Will these items help or be used once then tossed aside to receive new hats and mittens from the next shelter? Some individuals grab free items they don't need because they've learned to hoard whatever they can get their hands on in their poverty. So they take without a real need. With that in mind, would you still say that giving more means greater success?" Haruki said leaning her head on her hands as she watched Kyoko waiting for an answer.

"No, I guess not. It seems more like the giver is giving to make themself feel good rather than for the good of the person receiving the items," Kyoko said after a moment.

"Precisely," Haruki told her. "We are evaluating our programs to determine what real help they give to people. What numbers can we show for our efforts? Numbers that go beyond what we've done and delve into the impact on the lives of those we are trying to help. It's a new way to think about charity that forces self-reflection. How much of the charity do we do that is done to make ourselves feel better rather than actually help someone? The question we ask when evaluating a program is this, 'does this increase human dignity?'" Haruki said.

"Wouldn't all charity increase dignity?" Kyoko asked a bit confused.

"Unfortunately, no. A great example is the yearly holiday gifts we collect for the poor. It's a common practice among churches to present a list of items to the parishioners for them to go buy, bring back, then the church distributes to those in need. The first time I participated in delivering the goods I was shocked to discover the reactions of those receiving the gifts. The children were thrilled. No child will say no to getting a toy, especially if they didn't expect it. But it was the parents that surprised me. It was not unusual for fathers to leave the room in shame. Men are typically expected to be the breadwinners and us giving their children gifts slapped their inadequacy to provide for their family in their faces. Mothers were usually able to bear staying in the room but their faces still showed their shame. Our intentions were to help those in need but we weren't helping. At least, not in the way it counted," Haruki paused to let what she said sink in.

"I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense," Kyoko said. "The parents probably felt useless and like they failed their children. That's not what you wanted them to feel when giving them gifts."

"Right," Haruki said. "So when we started to learn about changing our approach to charity, we changed that program first. Now, we set up a shop for the holidays. The parishioners still buy items and bring them in but we don't distribute them anymore. Instead, we set up a shop and invite those in need of jobs to come work in it for minimum wage. They are given the opportunity to earn the gifts for their family. We also offer a discount to the workers but anyone in the community is welcome to come in and purchase the donated items. Everything is at a reduced price compared to regular stores so everyone benefits, even those who don't work in the store. We fundraise all year to make sure we can provide a salary and the profits from the store go towards the same purpose. The end result of families in need getting gifts for their kids is still achieved but the effect on parents is drastically different. They are able to feel pride when their kids unwrap their gifts rather than shame. That is charity that keeps human dignity in mind," Haruki finished sitting back in her chair.

Kyoko took time to absorb everything she was told. Charity was not something she had ever given much thought to and she never would have expected it to be such a complex topic. "Wow…I'm not really sure what else to say. Charity is a lot harder than I thought."

Haruki smiled at her, "Yes, it is difficult. But we are learning all the time how to do better. One thing to keep in mind is that it's important to ask for an exchange. In the case of the shop, the exchange was their time and work for money and reduced prices. Constantly giving to someone without asking for an exchange teaches them they have nothing to offer and creates dependency. Dependency prevents people from getting out of poverty. If we're not careful, we can hurt our end goal with our charity." Haruki stood up as she finished speaking and walked to the door motioning for Kyoko to follow her. "I think I've filled your head with enough charity theory. Why don't I introduce you to one of our regular volunteers? She's a senior in high school and should be arriving right about now," Haruki said as she led the way out of the office.

Kyoko followed after her with her head spinning. She felt like she just sat through a lesson. She definitely wasn't expecting this when she got up this morning. But it was all interesting. She was learning just like she did with Ren but the material was different and she learned it in a different way. Kyoko was brimming with joy at learning something new as she followed after Haruki. They went downstairs and waited in the commons area. It wasn't long before a young woman showed up carrying a school backpack. She had long dark hair with a slim body. She also had huge boobs. _What's up with everyone at this church being so big breasted? _Kyoko thought as the girl approached them.

"Kyoko, this is Mimori Nanokura. You'll be working side by side with her a lot. Mimori, this is Kyoko Mogami. She's here in place of Rika for this week," Haruki informed them both.

"Oh," Mimori said looking a bit disappointed looking at Kyoko.

"It's nice to meet you," Kyoko said extending her hand.

"Right," Mimori said shaking hands.

"Mimori, why don't you show Kyoko the church blog and walk her through how it works?" Haruki instructed the younger girl.

"No problem, there is a computer in the library we can use," Mimori told Kyoko as she started to lead the way.

Kyoko followed behind Mimori after thanking Haruki for her instruction. The library was down the hall and they were there in less than a minute. "I'll show you how to log in and get set up," Mimori told her. Kyoko took the chair next to her to learn the process, but Mimori didn't move to turn on the computer. She just stared at Kyoko.

"Is something wrong?" Kyoko asked her.

"You're really plain," Mimori blurted out. "Rika was stylish and had a rich girl feel to her. But you're incredibly normal looking."

Kyoko grimaced at the judgment. The comment was similar to what a certain someone said about her before. Someone she would rather not think about.

"Um, okay, how about you just show me how all this works?" Kyoko said trying to divert the topic to somewhere other than herself.

"Right," Mimori said as she turned towards the computer and turned it on. Kyoko watched her navigate to the church website and log into the 'back office'. The part of the website that only an administrator saw. It was a lot different than what a normal user of a website saw. There were more options for designing the site than she knew what to do with. Mimori showed her the tab that she would need to worry about. It was labeled posts and brought them to a page listing out the last 15 posts. Kyoko noticed that the author for the last one was Rika.

"To start a new post, click here and as you can see, it brings up a blank writing space. You type in your piece here, add pictures, then hit post. It's not complicated. Our posts go up every Friday. We focus on what's going on in the community and in the church. We talk about any events going on that we want people to participate in or bring to light topics we want people to be aware of. Rika wrote last week about the school fundraiser to advertise it and get people to engage in it. She got quite a few comments on it, so I think it worked," Mimori said showing the post to Kyoko in the visitor view along with the comments.

"What am I going to be writing about this week?" Kyoko asked.

"That's for you to figure out," Mimori said abruptly. "I'm not doing your job for you. Don't push your responsibility on me. I have something to go do," she said as she got up, grabbed her bag, and left the library.

Kyoko stared after her stunned. _What was that all about? _It seemed like Mimori didn't like her but Kyoko had no idea why. She decided not to worry about it and turned her attention to the blog. She read through Rika's post and through several others. Some were written by Mimori, some by Haruki, and some by people she had yet to meet. It seemed like the blog was a shared responsibility. Everyone had different aspects of the community they focused on. Mimori seemed to always write about police involvement in the area talking about their community service or events. There was one name in particular that often appeared. _Oh great, she's a Sho fan. _No wonder the girl didn't like her. It was predetermined that they wouldn't get along.

After reading through a few more blog posts, Kyoko logged off the computer and went back to the commons area. She wouldn't have to worry about the blog post until later in the week. She had plenty of time to figure out what she was going to write about.

In the commons area, Kyoko saw someone in a blue uniform. _Oh, there's an officer here… wait… that profile!_ It took all of Kyoko's self-control not to scream at the man in the middle of the room in anger. Her grudge demons popped out and started swirling around her muttering hate speech at the man occupying their attention. _What is he doing here? _Kyoko wondered.

"Kyoko, come over here," Haruki called to her. Kyoko hadn't even noticed the older woman was there. All of her attention had been on Sho. Mimori was also there. Sho looked over at her as Haruki drew attention to her.

_Shit! He's seen me. _Kyoko schooled her face into what she hoped was a friendly face. She approached slowly giving herself time to reign in her anger. Blowing up at Sho would not do her any good now. His reputation was established here. She was the newcomer. If she attacked him she would be thrown out and get in trouble.

"Kyoko," Sho said with a sly smile. "Never expected to see you here. I see you're still sporting the short, chestnut hair look. Are you in need of help from the church services? Couldn't take care of yourself, huh? You should go back to your old style and head back home. " He said smugly. Kyoko wanted to rip his smug face right off of his head. He had picked on her when they first moved to the city because she changed her hair color and style. Since they were in a new place, she wanted to give herself a different feel. Apparently, he still didn't like it. But it didn't matter to Kyoko what he thought anymore. She ignored his jibes.

"I'm here for work for your information," Kyoko replied through seething teeth all pretense of her friendly face gone.

"Work? Oh, are you the new janitor?" Sho asked her. A few more grudge demons popped out at that remark. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to contain her anger.

"Officer Fuwa!" Haruki yelled. "That's enough of that behavior. Kyoko is here as a member of LoveME. It is her turn to shadow this week like Rika was last week," she informed him while looking surprised. "Apologize to Kyoko for your comments. I've never seen you behave so disgracefully."

"It's alright," Kyoko said. She was calming down after having someone get mad on her behalf. "We're like oil and water. I wouldn't expect anything less from him."

"Yes, there's no point in apologizing to a person like her," Sho informed Haruki who looked stunned by the comment.

"Enough about her," Mimori chimed in grabbing Sho's arm. "You're going on your patrol, right? I'll walk with you." Sho walked with her to the door. He turned and gave Kyoko a smirk before leaving. The action made Kyoko's blood boil.

"Kyoko, what was that about? I've never seen him behave that way," Haruki asked turning towards her.

"We grew up together and don't get along," was all the answer Kyoko was willing to provide. "I've looked over the blog and will prepare something to post for Friday. What else would you like me to work on today?" Kyoko asked changing the subject. Sho was the last person she wanted to think about.

"Um, well, I need help with administrative tasks in the office," Haruki told her still looking confused about the exchange she just witnessed.

Kyoko followed Haruki back up to the office and helped her with her paperwork. Part of it was just sorting through old binders she had lying in the office. Haruki had been working here for a few years and she had collected all the files since. Everything from her first year was outdated and could be thrown out.

So Kyoko spent her time going through folders and binders throwing out anything that said it was older than three years. It was mostly papers on religious study groups that had occurred, flyers for different events, old articles, and other random items. It didn't take too long to go through even though there was a lot of it. Haruki was very organized. Kyoko took some extra time to read through some of the articles and learn more about charity work.

After she was done throwing the old stuff out, Haruki had her help with organizing current paperwork. It was surprising how much there was. There were invoices for current programs, schedules for events months down the road, and requests to add events to the calendars. It was a lot to go through. Kyoko spent the rest of her day on it.

She made sure to pack a lunch today since she wasn't sure what her chances of getting a lunch break were. Turns out, they were pretty high. Haruki took proper lunch breaks, unlike Ren. They sat and chatted for a bit while they ate. Kyoko also had her snacks to munch on throughout the day.

She didn't see Mimori or Sho again before she left the church for the day. It was a relief. Sho was a thorn in her side and Mimori didn't seem to like her. Kyoko walked down the road to the bus stop. As she stood there waiting, she heard moaning coming from the alleyway.

Kyoko walked over to peek down to see what was going on. What she found was a young man curled up in a ball on the ground.

* * *

Kaname671 volunteered to beta read for me. A good thing too. My husband wasn't able to look over the chapter this week. Be sure to thank her for allowing you to continue to have weekly updates. Updates are every Friday for those who were unaware.

Thank you for all the comments. They're so encouraging and fun to read. I'm glad you are liking the story. I know everyone wants to get back to Ren and Kyoko's romance. I do too. But this part is necessary. I did figure out a way to have Ren appear sooner than I was planning. It helps connect the story to itself as well. So it won't be as long as I thought it would be before you see him again.

Gleamqueen asked about Kyoko's looks. I hadn't put a lot of thought into her hairstyle. It's not as important in this story as it is in the original. She's not going to be going through regular transformations as she would as an actor. I put into this chapter what went on with her hair but it's rather late to say it so I'll explain my intentions a little better here. When Kyoko and Sho moved to the city, she decided to change her hair. So he's seen her with the short, new color before. It's something he's used to.

I do still want to do some blitz writing to give you more chapters for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure when I'm gonna be able to do it though. We've been sick this past week and contemplating moving.

Thanks for reading!

-Besma0003

P.S. I added a couple of more recommendations for reading in Discord. I'll try adding one or two a week. The link for the invite to the server is in my profile.


	11. Max and Baby

Kyoko rushed over to the young man to see if he was okay. She knelt down beside him calling out to him. The only response she got was his continued moaning. His clothes were dirty. He looked like he had been rolling around in the dirt. She could see marks on his face, but he was trying to cover it with his hands so she couldn't see in detail.

"Hey, it's alright," she said to him while reaching out her hand to touch him on the shoulder. He flinched at her touch and stopped moaning. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help. Can you tell me what happened?" He peeked through his fingers and stared up at her. She tried to smile reassuringly at him.

"What do you want?" He said suddenly in a harsh tone. Kyoko was taken aback by his response.

"I just want to help. You're clearly injured. I can take you to the church to get you cleaned up," she said trying to persuade him.

"I don't need any help!" He yelled as he pulled away from her and tried to get to his feet, but his strength gave out partway up and he collapsed again.

"Clearly, you're fine," Kyoko said sarcastically. "Let me help you," she said as she moved closer grabbing one arm and putting it around her shoulder. The young man was able to stand using her as support. He accepted her help begrudgingly.

Kyoko led him back to the church where Haruki would be able to help them. She led him to the door and pressed the buzzer to be let in. Once inside, she started yelling for Haruki. The older woman appeared quickly and ran over as soon as she laid eyes on the pair. "What happened?!" She asked as she got near and supported the boy from the other side. Together they led him to a seat where he could rest. "I'll go get the first aid kit while you stay with him, Kyoko," she said as she took off.

The boy looked disgruntled in his seat but he didn't protest. "See? Getting help isn't so bad," Kyoko said to him. He scoffed in response. Kyoko got a better look at him now that he was in the chair. He had short black hair and was a bit taller than her.

Haruki returned quickly and set to work cleaning up his scrapes. He had a few cuts on his face and arms. He was covered in wounds. There wasn't much they could do for the bruises but at least they could make sure his cuts didn't get infected. "What happened?" Haruki asked again as she was applying peroxide to his right arm.

The boy stayed silent so Kyoko told her the little she knew. "I found him in an alleyway on the ground. I don't know how he got in this state." Haruki silently nodded as she focused on her task.

"Then you're going to have to tell me what happened," Haruki said as she stopped her ministrations and leveled a glare at the young man.

He squirmed under her look and gave in to the older woman, "A couple of older kids beat me up. It's no big deal," he said looking away from them.

"No big deal? You're covered in wounds. This is my definition of a big deal," Haruki told him.

"There's nothing to be done about it. It's not the first time I've been beaten nor will it be the last. Kids get beat up all the time around here," he told them.

Haruki clicked her tongue as she moved on to cleaning up the cuts on his face. "Kyoko, can you go into the kitchen and get some food? I think hunger is where his weakness comes from more than these wounds."

Kyoko went to the kitchen and found some fresh fruit. She brought back a banana and an apple along with a PB&J sandwich she made.

"Perfect," Haruki said as she saw what Kyoko brought. "Young man," she said turning back to the boy, "you will eat at least half of this food in front of us before you leave."

He threw them both a dirty look before taking the food from Kyoko and biting into the apple. Haruki and Kyoko stepped away a bit to give him some space. "Young men these days," Haruki sighed. "You'd think you were threatening them by how unwilling they are to receive help." She brought her hand up to her forehead in exasperation.

"Is it normal for people around here to refuse aid?" Kyoko asked.

"The adolescents, yes. Children usually readily accept help. Adults have learned the hard way that they can't do everything themselves. Teens, on the other hand, think themselves invincible and that they can do it all on their own. He's not the first one I've come across that I've had to force help on," Haruki told her.

The boy walked up to them as Haruki finished speaking. "I've eaten some of the food. I'll be going now," he told them and walked away holding half a sandwich before they could protest. He was walking under his own power and showed none of the weakness he had moments before. The food really did give him his strength back.

"I guess there's nothing more we can do for him," Haruki said as they watched him walk away. "We can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped."

* * *

Kyoko found herself helping with food sorting the next day. Once every couple of months a government organization delivered food that the church requested for the soup kitchen. The parishioners brought in a lot of stuff too. But as an official organization for helping the poor, they were able to request government aid. The boxes were full of canned goods and ridiculously heavy. The guys who dropped them off carried the boxes all the way over to the closet in the commons where the food was to be stored in for her. She was thankful to not have to lift the heavy boxes and was stacking the food when Mimori came in.

The younger woman walked over and started helping Kyoko to stack. "Good morning, Mimori," Kyoko said when she came over.

Mimori gave her an unpleasant look before responding, "Morning." Kyoko sighed at the gruff greeting. _Is there no way to get her to accept my presence here? _Kyoko thought as she continued stacking.

With the two of them together, it didn't take long to finish up sorting the food. It was done in silence except for minor coordination. A question occurred to Kyoko as they put the now-empty boxes in recycling. "Mimori, how are you here before school gets out each day? Aren't you still in high school?"

Mimori gave her another one of her looks before responding, "Seniors are required to do community service hours before graduating. I've completed all my hours, but I still come because I like to. I only have to attend school for the few classes I have. When those classes aren't in session, I am free to do what I want. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do." Once again Mimori marched off leaving Kyoko behind wondering what she did to offend the other girl so much.

There wasn't anything she could do about it now. She had a doctor's appointment to get to. Kyoko was nervous about it. It was going to be her first time seeing Dr. Woods since the ER visit. She would have an ultrasound to determine the age of the baby. This visit would make the reality of her pregnancy a thousand times more real.

Kyoko made her way to Haruki's office to let her know she was on her way out. She found her at her desk going through emails. "Haruki, I'm heading to my personal appointment. I'm not sure how long it will be. I'll let you know when it's done."

Haruki looked up at Kyoko's voice. "There isn't anything pressing that needs to be attended to today. Don't worry about coming back after the appointment. You are certainly welcome to if you want, but it's not necessary. There's nothing going on today that can't be done tomorrow," Haruki said looking up at her.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then," Kyoko told Haruki and left the office. She made her way out of the church quickly. She was nervous someone would somehow know where she was going and why. It was silly, of course. No one would be able to guess. But she was so self-conscious her mind couldn't dismiss the possibility.

Once outside, Kyoko walked over to the bus stop. Again, she heard a noise coming from the alleyway near her. This time, it was more than just moaning. Someone was shouting.

"Where is it, Max!?" She heard as she walked closer.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I didn't take anything out of your bag! I don't know why you think I did," a second voice yelled. It sounded familiar. As she peeked into the alleyway, she saw the young man from yesterday facing off against two older kids.

"Will saw you take it. Stop lying and just give it back!" The original yeller shouted.

"He's lying! I didn't take anything. Leave me alone!" Max shouted back.

Kyoko stepped into the alleyway before things could get physical. "What's going on here?" She demanded in her best, stern, adult voice. The three boys looked at her. Max looked surprised at first but then hostile. The other two looked hostile right from the start. _Great. Why am I getting in the middle of three high school males? This is could go really bad. I better play the adult card as much as I can._

"Just keep walking lady," the boy who had yet to speak said.

"There's nothing for you to stick your nose in here," Said the first boy.

"I don't need your help," Max told her.

"I think there's something you three are missing here. I'm a reporter with close ties to the police department." Kyoko was hoping Ren wouldn't mind her throwing his influence around. "I can't just walk away when I see three young men about to get into a fistfight. Should I call my detective friend now?" She asked holding up her cell phone. She had no intention of actually calling Ren. He was a homicide detective. She couldn't bother him with the squabble of high school boys. But the three in front of her didn't need to know that.

"Tch," the first boy said between his teeth. "Fine, we'll go." He and his buddy went down the alleyway towards the other end.

"Why did you do that?!" Max rounded on her as soon as the other boys were out of sight. "I didn't need your help. And you've just made things worse!"

"It looked like those two were about to beat you. Would I be right to assume that's what happened yesterday?" Kyoko asked. He avoided her gaze looking to the side.

"They're only going to come at me harder next time," Max said looking back up at her.

"What do they claim you stole?" Kyoko asked him.

"It's none of your business. Leave me alone already," Max said as he brushed past her.

"Well, excuse me for caring," Kyoko muttered to his back as he left. She checked the time on her phone to make sure she didn't lose too much time over this exchange. Thankfully, the bus still hadn't gone by. Kyoko walked back to the stop and waited.

* * *

Kyoko fidgeted while waiting in the doctor's office. She didn't want to be here, but she had no choice. She had to find out how far along she was and get the care she needed. The appointment was going to be the start of her pregnancy journey. She wasn't prepared to accept it at all. She wanted to hide under a rock until after the labor. If she could, she would hide from this reality. But there was nothing she could do but wait to be called by a nurse.

It wasn't long before her name was called and she followed a nurse into a room. The normal check-up process was done. Her weight and vitals were recorded. Then she had to wait again for Dr. Woods to arrive.

Dr. Woods walked into the room after a couple of minutes. "Hello, Ms. Mogami. How are you today?" She said as she entered.

"I'm alright," Kyoko responded.

"You look nervous," Dr. Woods told her as she took a seat.

"Yes, part of me is still denying that I'm pregnant. But after today, I won't be able to anymore," Kyoko told her nervously.

"That's understandable," Dr. Woods responded to her. "But please know that you don't need to be embarrassed about anything in front of me. I'm here to get you through this pregnancy safely, not judge any of your life choices," she told Kyoko as she got up and started preparing for the sonogram.

"Thank you, Dr. Woods," Kyoko said.

"Jelly, my dear." The doctor said turning to her. "No need to be formal with me."

"Thank you, Jelly. And just call me Kyoko, please." Kyoko told her.

"Of course, Kyoko," Jelly said with a smile. "Before we do the Sonogram, I want to talk things over with you. Have you decided what you want to do about your pregnancy? You were unsure at the ER."

"I'm going to go with adoption," Kyoko told her. "I can't keep the child myself, but I feel responsible for getting pregnant. Getting an abortion doesn't seem fair to the child." Kyoko couldn't look Jelly in the eyes as she spoke. She was still ashamed of getting pregnant with a stranger.

"It is wise to understand your limits and make decisions based off of them. Have you told anyone that you're pregnant?" Jelly asked her.

"My two friends found out a couple of days ago. They…" Kyoko's eyes misted at the memory of the support they showered on her. "They said they'll help me through this."

Jelly smiled as she watched the girl struggle with the memory of her friends. "It's good that you have people who will be there for you. Pregnancy is not meant to be done alone. You will need their support." Kyoko could only nod as her throat was choked up in emotion. "Why don't we start the ultrasound then?" Jelly told her. "This one is done transvaginally. So I'm going to need you to get undressed from the waist down and sit here," Jelly said patting the edge of the patient bed. "Use this to cover yourself after you're situated." Jelly handed her a paper towel feeling sheet. It was a disposable cloth for providing privacy to patients during sensitive exams like this. "Do you understand?" Jelly asked her.

"Yes," Kyoko told her getting past the emotion in her throat. Jelly nodded her head and walked out the door. Kyoko undressed and sat on the patient bed. It wasn't really a bed. It was more a movable seat. The back could be moved up and down according to the comfort of the patient. She put the sheet over herself and waited for Jelly to return.

There was a knock at the door before Jelly asked, "Are you ready, Kyoko?"

"Yes," Kyoko responded, and Jelly entered the room followed by the nurse who led her to the room.

"Nurse Joy will stay for the exam as a second pair of hands. This won't hurt any but it will likely be a bit uncomfortable," Jelly told her as she helped Kyoko put her feet in the stirrups that pulled out from the bed. Kyoko laid back against the back of the bed as Nurse Joy adjusted its level to be almost horizontal with the seat. "The images from the ultrasound will show up on this screen here," Jelly pointed to a small TV screen on the wall Kyoko was facing. "If you want to see the baby, that's where to look. Of course, you don't have to look if you don't want to."

Kyoko wasn't sure what she wanted to do. The idea of seeing the baby on the screen was terrifying, but she also felt like she had to look to fully believe. She chose to look away from the screen. She could believe without the visual proof. Kyoko felt the procedure begin and winced. It didn't hurt, but vaginal exams were never enjoyable. The sound of the ultrasound turned on and Kyoko heard the heartbeat. Her resolve to not look was forgotten with the sound. Her head instantly swiveled to the screen. She couldn't tell what she was looking at. It didn't make a lot of sense to her, but there was something there. And she could hear the steady heartbeat. Kyoko's breath caught in her throat as she fully confronted the reality of her pregnancy for the first time.

"The heartbeat is healthy," Jelly said at her computer. She was conducting measurements using computer programs. Kyoko's eyes stayed riveted to the screen. "The baby is a bit big. It looks to be 10 weeks along. It's a good thing we got you in now. Gestational age is hard to measure after this point. You're almost done with the first trimester," Jelly said looking over at her.

"Oh," was all Kyoko could manage. She couldn't get over the fact that there was a baby inside her. That she was staring at its body even if she couldn't identify any body parts.

"Here's the head," Jelly said pointing to the screen as if reading Kyoko's thoughts. "Can you tell?" She asked her.

"Not really," Kyoko responded.

"It's hard to identify body parts on a Sonogram when you aren't used to it. Don't feel bad," Jelly said as she went back to her computer. "I'm going to print off a few pictures for you to take home. You might be able to identify parts with practice. I'll label them within the pictures too." Kyoko nodded as Jelly spoke to her then laid her head down looking at the ceiling. She could no longer deny her pregnancy. She had mentally accepted it before. The ER visit had drilled in the situation of her health. But this was different. Kyoko felt like her heart had been grabbed hold of. She didn't know if it was good or bad. But something now had a vice grip on her heart.

* * *

I made another name mistake last chapter. Thanks to AMusing Brunette for pointing it at out. I used Hiroki instead of Haruki a couple of times. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people didn't notice it. The names are so similar it's easy to read the name you want to see instead of what's written which is how it got past me and the beta, Kaname671.

I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of Kyoko's age. It was mentioned in a previous chapter, but it was glossed over. She is 20.

Kaname671 did a lot of beta reading for me this past week. Thanks to her help, I will be able to give an extra chapter next week, maybe even two. Next update will be on Monday. I'll let you know then if I will be able to throw in another bonus chapter for the week. These chapters are not in lieu of Friday's update, that remains.

Thanks for reading! And remember, comments are an author's lifeblood.

-Besma0003


	12. Dreams

Kanae felt her phone vibrate and checked it. Her face scrunched in concern at what she read. She walked over to Ren to see what they were up to for the rest of the day. "Ren, do we have anything major going on after this?"

Ren was thinking about letting her go early. He had a ton of paperwork to catch up on and that wasn't something she could help with. Sitting at his desk while he wrote reports and filed paperwork would be excruciatingly painful for her. It would be excruciating for him. "No, I actually have a lot of reports to write up. I was thinking of sending you home early," he told her.

"Perfect," Kanae said with a nod.

* * *

Kyoko was laying on her bed feeling stressed. Her appointment with Jelly went smoothly but the reality of it all was hitting her like a ton of bricks. She pulled the ultrasound pictures out of her pocket to look at the baby. She gently brushed her fingers against the image trying to figure out how she was feeling. Being pregnant was terrifying, but looking at the images in her hand stirred another feeling in her that she didn't know how to describe. This baby was a part of her. It shared her flesh and blood. It was growing within her. It was more to process than she could handle.

Kyoko decided to move her thoughts back to the appointment to pull away from the uncomfortable feeling she had. Jelly had informed her of a lot of details on how to take care of herself.

"_Do you remember those sheets we gave you at the ER for how to take care of yourself?" Jelly said after the Sonogram was done and Kyoko was fully clothed._

"_Yes, I read through them," Kyoko told her._

"_Good, now I want you to take it all with a grain of salt. Some sections more than others," Jelly said._

"_What do you mean?" Kyoko asked confused. She could tell Jelly was displeased by something._

"_The advice in there is contradictory and patronizing at times. It's all medically correct, but it completely ignores the reality of daily living. For example, do you remember what it said about eating out?" Jelly asked her expectantly._

_Kyoko thought for a moment before responding. "It said not to eat salad because it could have E. Coli or Salmonella. Only eat salad that I wash for safety's sake. Contracting either of those things while pregnant can be very dangerous."_

"_Right, the same thing is said for cold, cut meats. Basically, it's saying not to eat anything healthy when you eat out. But at the same time, the paperwork encourages you to eat as healthily as you can. Our culture has most people eating out rather than at home. A person's lifestyle does not change because they are pregnant. In fact, pregnancy is one of the worst times to try to change habits. It can be done, but it's more difficult than at other times in life. Pregnant women are usually miserable and they don't need the stress of trying to change their lives. They are just trying to survive each day typically. So if they aren't allowed to eat healthy foods when they eat out but are used to eating out, what are they supposed to eat? Nothing? Should they starve? No, you need the calories. No matter what, do not let the fear of not having healthy options to eat stop you from eating. I'd rather you have fried chicken for dinner than starve. Do try to eat healthy as much as you can, gaining too much weight puts extra stress on your body, but don't make your life impossible by trying to only eat healthily," Jelly kept her gaze fixed on Kyoko through the whole speech. She wanted to make sure Kyoko ate enough to sustain her body and the baby._

"_I understand," Kyoko replied after gulping. Jelly's intensity frightened her a little._

"_Good. I'm especially worried about you since I've already seen you in the ER once due to dehydration. Make sure you take care of yourself. If you find yourself struggling to find foods that you can eat, call the office and a nutrition appointment can be set up for you," Jelly said softening her gaze a bit._

"_I'll keep that in mind," Kyoko responded._

"_Now, you said you want to hide your pregnancy for a bit. That'll be easy for now. You won't get a baby bump for a few more weeks. First time moms generally don't start showing until between 12-16 weeks. By that time, it'll start getting difficult," Jelly informed her._

"_That should be long enough to wrap my head around all this," Kyoko told her. She knew she couldn't hide it forever, but having time to adjust would be nice._

"_You can expect to start feeling the baby around week 18. It's different for every pregnancy. So you could feel movement sooner or later. Other's won't be able to feel movement yet. That takes a bit longer," Jelly explained._

"_Movement? I'll feel the baby move? And others can feel it?" Kyoko didn't know much about pregnancy. She was never close to anyone pregnant before._

"_Of course, dear. You'll be able to feel the baby kick. Eventually, others will be able to put their hands on your stomach and feel the kicks as well," Jelly told her. She decided to keep to herself that the kicks will eventually be visible. That information could come later. What they were discussing now was clearly already a lot for the young woman to take in._

"_Oh," Kyoko responded shocked. She didn't know she'd be feeling the baby. She put her arm on her stomach unconsciously as she digested that fact._

A knock on the door brought Kyoko out of her musings over the appointment. She got up and walked to the door. Through the peephole, she could see Kanae. Kyoko opened the door throwing herself at her friend, grabbing her for a hug. She was so overwhelmed that she needed physical comfort. Kanae hugged her back for a few moments before pulling her off. "Alright, already. Are you going to invite me in?"

"Of course!" Kyoko said as she pulled her friend into her apartment.

"So what's this emergency girlfriend meeting you asked for?" Kanae asked her. After leaving the doctor's office, Kyoko had sent a text to Kanae and Rika asking them to come over for an emergency girlfriend meeting.

"Um," Kyoko shifted her feet nervously while looking down. "I just had my first doctor's appointment. It was a bit much," Kyoko confessed.

"What the heck?! Why didn't you tell us! One of us would have gone with you. When's Rika getting here?" Kanae asked her scolding.

"She won't be able to make it," Kyoko told her. "There's some big event going on that she has to help set up. She's going to be busy all day and night." Kyoko walked over to her bed and grabbed the Sonogram pictures as she spoke. She turned to look at Kanae with the pictures behind her back.

"Alright, then I'll give you a piece of my mind by myself," Kanae said as she plopped herself on the bed with her arms folded. "You should have told us! We just discussed this weekend that we would be here for you. Why didn't you say anything about your appointment?!" Kanae scolded her while glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, I was scared to think about the appointment. I was afraid it would make everything real… and it did," Kyoko confessed as she sat down next to Kanae looking despondent.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked her worriedly as she unfolded her arms. Kyoko pulled the photos she'd been hiding from behind her back and handed them to Kanae. "What am I…." the words 'looking at' never made it out of Kanae's mouth as the realization hit her what the pictures were. "You had an ultrasound," Kanae said looking over the pictures.

"Yes, and I heard the heartbeat while looking at the baby... in real-time... on a screen," Kyoko told her unable to look at her friend. She didn't know what she was feeling, let alone how to deal with those feelings. She knew she was scared and terrified, but there also seemed to be a sense of wonder that she didn't understand.

Kanae looked up from the pictures in her hand to look at her friend. "What did you think?" She asked her gently.

"I don't know," Kyoko admitted. "It's terrifying but there's something else that I'm feeling that I don't understand." Kyoko grasped for words trying to put her emotions into coherent speech. "One part of me is screaming 'Oh my God' terrified while another part of me is screaming the same words but with a feeling I don't understand. The feelings get mingled in the words and I'm just so confused," Kyoko said burying her face in her hands.

Kanae put the pictures to the side and pulled Kyoko to her chest wrapping her arms around her. She wasn't normally the physical type, but this situation called for a kind of support that only physical contact could give. "Do you feel moved over the idea of being pregnant?" Kanae asked her trying to help her friend find the words she needed to express herself.

Kyoko was quiet before responding. "I think that's a good way to put it. To say I'm excited is too strong a word. I feel something other than scared, something sort of positive. But it's a gentle feeling. Like a quiet acceptance maybe. I am pregnant and maybe I can have positive feelings towards this baby," Kyoko said thinking out loud.

"That sounds like a pretty good thing to me," Kane said pulling her friend away from the hug so she could look at her face. "Pregnancy is going to be tough. Having some affection for the baby while you go through pregnancy trials will give purpose to what's going on with your body." Kanae said in all seriousness.

Kyoko couldn't help but giggle. "Pregnancy trials?" She said teasingly to her friend.

"Oh, get off me!" Kanae said pushing her friend away and standing up embarrassed. Kyoko fell backward onto her bed and giggled. The brief talk with Kanae helped her to feel better. Yes, the pregnancy was real. But maybe it didn't have to be all bad.

"Since you're here," Kyoko said from her spot on the bed, "do you want to hang out for a while?"

Kanae looked at her debating. She wanted to just go, but she also couldn't say no to those begging eyes. "Fine," she said throwing up her hands and sitting back down on the bed with Kyoko to look over the photos more.

* * *

_A boy version of Ren was walking through the woods. He was worried about what he would find. He picked up the pace and started running. He ran for what felt like miles shouting for his friend the whole way. Finally, he came to a clearing. His throat sore from all his yelling. He gasped at the scene before him. Bodies and blood everywhere. He started screaming again. This time, his words incoherent from fright. From his right, a giant figure loomed. Ren turned to look to see teeth coming right at him._

Ren sat up straight in bed as he woke up from his nightmare. He pressed his hand to his face as he panted, recovering from the dream. These dreams weren't unusual, but they still sucked every time. The dream wasn't very accurate. His mind played games with the course of events of what happened that day. Every time he had one of these dreams, the scenario played out differently. At least, they didn't bore him.

Ren's skin was cold and clammy from sweating in his sleep. He went to bed shirtless with a pair of sweatpants. He could see the sweat on himself. He dragged himself out of bed and headed for the shower. A hot shower would help clear his mind. As he turned the knobs, an image of Kyoko looking at him in the dark as she asked him why he was out in the rain appeared in his mind. He dismissed the image quickly. _Why would I think of her?_

* * *

_Kyoko was in a flower bed sitting with her legs out in front of her. She was leaning back propped up by her arms. The smell of the flowers was beautiful and the day was gorgeous. Her head was leaned back soaking in the great weather, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. She heard laughter coming from in front of her and looked to see. Two children were playing in the flowers and grass, rolling and tumbling together. They were having a grand time. Kyoko couldn't help but smile at them. She heard footsteps approaching from behind and leaned her head back again to look to see who it was. A tall man was approaching her. The sun was shining just right, preventing her from seeing his face. He walked over to her, bending at the waist capturing her mouth in a kiss. She smiled as she kissed him back. The sweetness of his lips filling her with joy. She brought one hand up to stroke his face. Their moment was broken by the, "Eeeewwww" from the children in front of them. The man pulled back allowing both adults to laugh at the reaction from the kids. He leaned forward once again to give her a peck on the forehead before sitting behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. Together, they sat and watched the kids play._

Kyoko opened her eyes suddenly. The dream was very different from the other ones she'd been having lately. Her other dreams scared her. This one left her with a soft, pleasant feeling in her body. It was warm and gentle. She liked the way the man touched her. It was loving and kind. The children were cute to watch. Her feelings towards the kids in her dream coincided with the thoughts she'd been having since she saw her baby on the screen, _maybe being a mother isn't so bad._

At the thought, Kyoko scrunched her eyes shut and scolded herself. The problem wasn't motherhood. The problem was her, Kyoko, being a mother. It wasn't meant for her. Others made splendid mothers, but there was no way she could. She would damage any child she tried to get close to. She had no idea what parental affection felt like.

Kyoko forced herself out of bed and got ready for the day.

* * *

Kyoko was walking into the church when she saw a familiar, dreaded form. "Great," she muttered to herself as she walked over to Haruki. She was talking to Sho and Mimori. It was unusual for Mimori to get there sooner than her. Kyoko wondered what was up.

"Kyoko, it's good that you're here," Haruki called to her as she walked closer. "The school we help support is having a fair today and asked us to send a few people over to help encourage the students. It's also Mimori's school. I was thinking of sending you with her," Haruki informed her.

"Oh," Kyoko said as she took in that information. Checking out a school fair would be fun, but what was Sho doing here?

"As one of the officers who patrol the area, I'm providing security for the event. Several of us are going to be walking around to deter anyone from causing trouble," Sho told her as if reading her mind.

"Is trouble expected?" Kyoko asked. She didn't think police officers were a normal part of school fairs. Not to mention, wasn't Sho a Vice Officer?

"The school has a bit of a drug problem," Haruki told her. "They don't want anyone doing anything in front of guests."

"Oh," Kyoko responded again. Sho's presence threw her off.

Mimori latched on to Sho's arm glaring at Kyoko, "We're heading over to the school now. You can follow along behind us," the girl said.

Kyoko looked at the challenge written in the girl's eyes. _I'm no threat to your relationship with him, _Kyoko thought silently.

"Come now, Mimori," Sho said smiling at her. "Kyoko doesn't know where the school is. She might get lost. We should bring her with us," he told the girl latched on to his arm. Kyoko's grudges immediately went on alert. Sho was up to something.

* * *

I squeezed in a little bit of Ren this chapter. Not much, but hopefully it'll tie you over until he shows up again in a few chapters.

I won't be able to post another extra chapter this week. I've told myself I'm not allowed to write any more until I finish my graduate admissions paperwork for next Fall. I need to stop dragging my feet on that. Even with the restriction and this being a holiday week, I should still be able to upload the normal Friday chapter. If it's done early enough, I might upload it on Thursday as a Thanksgiving treat.

Thanks for reading and all the reviews you leave!

-Besma0003


	13. Plans

Sho was driving to the church thinking about the fair Mimori's school was going to be holding. His department was asked to help with patrols at the event. He didn't want to. Patrolling at a high school was not the excitement he imagined when he became a Vice Officer.

When he rescued the kids, he was offered to move to any department he wanted as a reward. He always wanted to join Vice. They specialized in drugs and prostitution. It promised the most action. He was hoping for a chance to go undercover someday.

Instead of action, he found himself policing kids for the most part. Drug addiction in the high school was rampant. Most took part in ecstasy. It was a party drug that helped the kids feel happier. While ecstasy had side effects, it wasn't considered a hard drug. The real problem with it was that it was too easily contaminated with harder drugs. Bath Salts were commonly put in them for example.

The department was having a heck of a time tracking down the source. None of the dealers they arrested were able to give them a solid lead. They all got their product from a shady individual who dressed in a dark, hooded cloak hiding their identity. They tried sting operations, but none of their setups ever worked. The person didn't show up as planned whenever the cops were involved. Everyone was suspecting a leak. Fishing out the leak was proving just a difficult a task as finding the source of the drug.

While the detectives were chasing their tails trying to find a lead, officers like Sho were stuck patrolling the streets. He hated that he wasn't a detective, but he didn't have enough time in the force. He needed at least another year before he would be considered, and even then he still had some schooling to do.

The one nice thing about his current work was all the women. Both Mimori and Haruki were his type with big breasts. Every time he saw them, it made his day. Haruki had no interest in him. She was dedicated to work, but Mimori was obsessed with him. It was annoying and reminded him a lot of Kyoko. But she made his days easier to get through so he put up with her.

Sho pulled his patrol car up to the church and got out. Mimori was waiting for him outside and ran up to hug him. He vaguely returned the hug and walked in with her. Haruki was busy talking with other staff members of the church when they walked in. She saw them quickly and dismissed herself from the conversation she was having to join them.

"Mimori, Officer Fuwa," she said as she approached. "I'm glad you were able to stop by here before heading to the school. Kyoko should be here shortly and she doesn't know where the school is. I was hoping you would let her tag along. I won't be heading to the school until later myself so I can't show her around." Mimori pouted at the news. She made no secret of her dislike of Kyoko. Sho wasn't sure why, then again, Kyoko usually had a hard time making friends, especially with other women.

Kyoko walked in at that moment and Haruki called her over. Sho watched her walk up to them making plans for the day. It bothered him that she stayed in the city. She should have gone crawling back to his parents when he ditched her. The fact that she was being independent was unthinkable. She had always been dependent on his family's hospitality. That's where she belonged. This woman before him who was learning to stand on her own two feet was infuriating. He would find a way to put her in her place to send her back home.

Sho saw her giving him a confused look and spoke up for his presence. "As one of the officers who patrol the area, I'm providing security for the event. Several of us are going to be walking around to deter anyone from causing trouble," he told her before turning back to his thoughts. He didn't bother to listen to her reply. Haruki would take care of it if she wanted more details.

What he needed to do was figure out a way to get her to lose hope and head back to his parents. Mimori had given him a flyer listing out the major events of the school fair. He grinned internally thinking about one in particular that Kyoko would enjoy. He would use THAT to get at her.

Sho felt Mimori grab his arm and heard her say Kyoko could follow along behind. That wouldn't do for his plans. It was time to lay on the charm. "Come now, Mimori," Sho said smiling at her. "Kyoko doesn't know where the school is. She might get lost. We should bring her with us," he told the girl latched on to his arm.

* * *

Kyoko walked near Mimori and Sho cautiously. She couldn't politely refuse the invite, especially with Haruki there. Mimori kept sending her dagger glares as she hugged Sho's arm to her breasts. _He's probably enjoying that immensely,_ Kyoko thought grimly. Mimori was definitely his type physically speaking.

Kyoko's grudge demons swirled around her on alert in case Sho tried anything. He was acting oddly polite, offering small talk at times.

"We're almost there, Kyoko," he said turning to look at her. "The students have been going all out to have a fun event. I've been seeing them put decorations up all week," he informed her. Kyoko just nodded in reply too confused by his demeanor to use words. "Mimori, you should let go of me now," Sho said turning to her.

"Why?" She pouted looking up at him.

"We're almost at your school. You can't be seen clinging to me like that. Rumors will start and it will ruin your reputation," he explained to her.

"Fine," Mimori said sighing as she let go.

Kyoko watched the exchange curiously. She hadn't considered it before since they were only two years apart but Mimori was still a high school student. Even though she was 18, as a student, it would be inappropriate for Sho to be in a relationship with her. Kyoko decided she would try to get some details out of the girl about what was going on between them. If it was anything untoward, she might have a chance to get back at the bastard already.

They reached the school gate before long. There was a big banner stretching from post to post saying, "Welcome to Ookami High". They used the Japanese word for wolf as their school name. Kyoko had heard before that the schools in the city often used animals for names. It made choosing a mascot easy.

Beyond the gate, Kyoko saw several booths set up. Some were food booths while others were for games. A student handed her a brochure that she briefly looked over. While there were stands in the schoolyard, it appeared many classes used their classrooms as the location for the booth. It was a big event. Despite the company, Kyoko felt excited to walk around and see all the effort the kids put into their school fair.

"Would you like some?" Kyoko was pulled from her thoughts by Sho. He was holding up a stick of teriyaki chicken from one of the stands near them.

"Um, thanks," she responded as she took it. _Did he spit on it or something before giving it to me? _Sho didn't give her things. Even when they lived together, he didn't gift her items or offer to help pay for anything. He was behaving out of character.

"Don't worry, these kids can cook. You won't get food poisoning," he chuckled at her. Now she had to eat it. If she didn't, she would be insulting the kids he bought from. Kyoko hesitantly took a bite and discovered it was very good. It didn't taste like it had been tampered with. "See? Pretty good, right?" Sho asked her.

"It's very good," Kyoko said turning to the kids he bought the food from. "Thank you!" She said causing their faces to lite up in smiles. One did a fist pump.

"Alright, time to win more customers over!" She heard from behind her as they walked away. She smiled at their enthusiasm.

Kyoko looked back at the brochure and picked out a few things she wanted to go see. "Sho, Mimori, I'm going to go see things by myself now. I only walked along with you because I didn't know the way. But I'm all set now. I'll see you later," she said as she turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Sho yelled as he grabbed her arm to hold her back. Kyoko looked back at him surprised. "Be sure to meet us at the stage at 1 PM. Support for the shows on stage is the biggest reason we're here. We've got to cheer them on loudly to get the rest of the crowd cheering," Sho told her earnestly. Kyoko looked at him a bit confused.

"Okay," she said dislodging her arm from his hand. "I'll be there to cheer on the kids," Kyoko said walking away for real this time. She moved as fast as she could. She didn't want to stay around him any longer than necessary. She certainly didn't want him to touch her again.

"Great! See you there!" He called after her.

* * *

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrated it this week!

It's a small chapter today. I had wanted to write more but this week hit me hard in ways I wasn't expecting. There wasn't much energy left for writing. This chapter hasn't been betaread. I hope everything's all good. I caught at least one instance of using the wrong name on my own.

You can thank the guest who commented about no chapter today. I wasn't going to post and wait until I had a chapter as long as I usually do, but the comment made me be at least a little productive and post what I had.

Thanks for reading and for the comments!

-Besma0003


	14. Dehydrated Again

Kyoko walked into the school to check out the booths held inside the classrooms. The pamphlet she was handed at the entrance showed that several classrooms were doing themed cafes. They all served different foods and drinks. One specialized in coffee and teas while another served smoothies. She wanted to try the specialized teas and go to the cafe that served danishes.

Along the way, she passed by a haunted house that she couldn't resist trying. She giggled all the way through. It was fun watching the kids jump out at her. They had a lot of energy and were enjoying their school fair.

Before long, Kyoko found herself at the tea cafe. It was hosted by a freshman class. She sat at one of the tables and a student waiter came up to her. He was wearing a pirate outfit. An eye patch was covering his left eye and a fake cutlass at his hip completed the look. She was so distracted by what he was wearing she didn't pay attention to the student himself until he spoke.

"What are _you _doing here?" asked the young man. Kyoko looked up surprised by the tone of voice to stare into Max's eyes. She wasn't expecting Max to go to the same school as Mimori, but it made sense. It was the only school for this neighborhood.

"Hi Max," Kyoko said after her initial shock. "I was hoping to try some of the chamomile with honey tea." She told him calmly trying to ignore the steely look he gave her.

"Fine, I'll get you some. It'll be two dollars. You pay upfront," he told her while holding his hand out. Kyoko pulled out her wallet and gave him the change. He left as soon as she put the money in his hand. Kyoko took a deep breath to steady her nerves after the sudden confrontation. The boy was difficult to deal with.

She looked around at what the other students were wearing while she waited for her tea. They were all wearing some sort of pirate clothing. Some were having fun acting out a sword fight for the entertainment of the guests. One student was so into it that she was talking with a pirate accent.

Kyoko suddenly smelled chamomile and looked down to see her tea in front of her. She looked around and saw Max walking away. _I didn't even notice him put it down, _she thought as she picked up her cup to take a sip. It had a wonderful fragrance and the warmth felt soothing to the soul. She quietly enjoyed it while watching the kids interact with their boundless energy.

She finished her drink and left. Max never came back. Kyoko went to get her danish. The kids in the Sophomore danish cafe were all dressed up in ninja clothes. Their shurikens were painted, cut up cardboard. The students here were just as energetic pretending to have a battle throwing their shurikens back and forth. Kyoko couldn't help but laugh at their antics.

Her danish was sweet and delicious. She headed back outside to get food from the booths there. Only the outside booths cooked meats. Since they were outside, they could use a grill. The cafes inside could only sell prebaked items or things they could make with minor kitchen appliances like a blender or hot water maker. The chicken she had earlier was good. She was excited to find out what else there was.

Kyoko walked around trying different foods. It all made her drool. Sho was right, these kids could cook. Kyoko was having so much fun trying out different meats that she lost track of where she was. She suddenly found herself in an area that looked like a resupply center for the students. There were crates of bottled water and boxes full of other items. She was about to turn around and head back when voices from the other side of the boxes caught her attention.

"West, leave me alone! I already told you, I didn't take your Molly, and I don't know where it is." Kyoko heard the all too familiar voice of Max. _Why do I keep finding him in these situations?_

"I don't believe you," Kyoko heard from someone else. It sounded like the same boy who had cornered him before. Kyoko sighed and made sure she was hiding behind the boxes as she debated how to handle this situation. Should she intervene? Max didn't exactly like it when she did last time. "You will give it back to me," the other young man, West, said almost growling.

"I can't give back to you what I don't have, what I never had!" Max said elevating his voice.

"If you don't have it, then you'll just have to pay for it. You can just whore out your mother to get the cash. That's all she's good for anyways." Kyoko's mouth dropped as she heard West speak. _People actually say those kinds of things?! _She definitely could not let this kind of talk continue. She heard a loud smack as she stepped out of her hiding space to look at the two boys. Max had punched West. Unfortunately for Max, West was older and easily overpowered him. He had Max pinned to the ground and was about to hit him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kyoko yelled hoping to interrupt their momentum. She stood there looking down at them with her hands on her hips with the crossest looking face she could muster. Both boys looked up at her in shock. They clearly weren't expecting to be interrupted.

"Stay out of this!" West yelled at her. "I'm teaching my underclassman a lesson."

"With your fists?!" Kyoko retorted. "I don't think so. Get off of him," she demanded. West glared at her as he considered her words.

"Maybe I should teach you the lesson. This is the second time you've interrupted us," West said as he got off of Max while keeping his eyes on her the whole time.

Kyoko was shocked by his words but kept her face cross looking. _Don't show fear. _"And just what do you think you're going to do to me? I'm not a kid you can push around. I _will_ turn you into your school principal for punishment if you try anything. I'm not someone you can intimidate," Kyoko said bluffing. She was totally intimidated, but she couldn't let him know. West was a tall and muscular kid. He could hurt her if he really wanted to.

West took a step forward as he contemplated her. "Leave her alone!" Max yelled from beside him. "She's just a stupid adult who has nothing to do with this. I'll get you your money if that'll get you to leave me alone," Max told him.

West turned to look at Max as he said, "Fine. I'll let it go this time." He looked back at Kyoko before adding, "But this is the last time. Interfere with my business again, and you won't be walking away. And you," he said looking back at Max. "We'll finish this later." He brushed past Kyoko as he walked by. Kyoko had to step back slightly to keep her balance after the contact. She watched him stalk off before looking back at Max. He was still watching West's back as he walked away.

Before Kyoko could find the words to talk to Max she felt dizzy and light-headed. She started to sway on her feet. She put her hand out trying to find something to steady herself on put was too far away from the boxes. She took a step in their direction but her strength gave out and the ground rushed up to meet her.

Except it didn't. Max caught her before she fell. "Are you okay?!" He asked sounding frightened. He helped her slowly sit on the ground leaning up against the boxes she had been reaching for and grabbed her a bottle of water from one of the crates. Kyoko gratefully took it and tried to open it to drink from it, but she was too weak. Max took it back and opened it before handing it back to her. Kyoko gratefully drank the cool water. She had been walking around for a few hours without drinking anything. She was probably dehydrated again. Then the stress from the confrontation with West was too much for her body to handle.

"Are you okay?" Max repeated after she had drank some.

"Yes, I'll be fine," she told him. "Thank you for the water. I'm just dehydrated I think. I've been on my feet for a while without drinking anything." She quickly finished the bottle he had given her and asked for another. She still felt weak.

"Are you sure?" Max asked as he got another bottle and opened it for her.

"Yes, with some rest and water I'll be fine. I just need to sit here for a bit. I'll be up again in no time." Kyoko told him reassuringly. At least, she hoped that's what would happen. She didn't fancy another visit to the ER. Jelly would kill her.

"Okay," Max said as he sat down opposite of her leaning against some crates.

"What are you doing?" Kyoko asked him. She couldn't fathom why he was sitting down as well.

"I can't leave you like this, especially after you stood up for me again," Max said looking away from her. She saw his cheeks turn slightly red as he spoke. _Ah, so he is a good kid after all._

"Since we're going to be sitting here for a few minutes, mind telling me what's going on?" Kyoko didn't know if he would answer, but if she was going to go through this much trouble for the kid she would like to know why.

Max sat there with his head down not answering her.

_Figures,_ Kyoko thought as she sighed and leaned her head back.

"He thinks I stole something from him. But I didn't take it!" Max exclaimed as he punched the ground. Kyoko looked at him surprised. He actually answered her.

"Why does he think you took it?" Kyoko prodded.

"His buddy told him he saw me do it. I don't know why he would say that." Max looked up at her with frustration in his eyes.

"If you didn't do it, but someone says they saw you do it, isn't that person the guilty party?" Kyoko asked him after drinking some more water. She was starting to feel full from the water. She would have to let what she already drank settle before she could drink more.

Max looked at her shocked. "You might be right," he said thoughtfully. "There's no other reason to say he saw me take it other than to make me into a scapegoat." Max sighed as he realized something. "Knowing that doesn't do me any good. I won't be able to convince him that his best friend stole from him instead of me. I'll still have to come up with the money," Max said leaning his head against the crates behind him.

"I guess you're right. He doesn't seem to be the type to believe you," Kyoko said. "What is this thing that he thinks you took? What is it worth exactly?" Kyoko asked. She was finally starting to feel some strength return. But only some, she was still rather weak.

"That…doesn't matter," Max mumbled avoiding her gaze.

Kyoko thought back to what she overheard before the boys started fighting. Max had said something about Molly. _What's….wait!_ Kyoko looked at Max searching for an answer. He was still avoiding looking at her by drawing shapes in the dirt with his finger.

Molly was a street name for Ecstasy. _These boys couldn't be wrapped up in drugs, could they? _Kyoko wondered. Then she remembered what Haruki told her. The school had a drug problem. It was very likely they were discussing the party drug.

"I heard you mention Molly," Kyoko said. Max flinched as she spoke. He looked at her cautiously. "Can't you just tell a teacher he's involved with drugs to get him off your back?"

Max sighed. "That will backfire. Sure, West will get in trouble. But the next day I would get caught with some myself. It's happened before. A student told on another dealer and they were found with planted Molly in their bag the next day," he told her.

"Wait, he's a dealer?" Kyoko asked surprised. She didn't realize students could be dealers.

"Yeah, one of the more involved ones," Max said.

"What if I told the school principal he was involved with drugs?" Kyoko asked pointing at herself.

"With what evidence?" Max asked her.

"Right," Kyoko said as she realized he was right. She couldn't go accusing a student of being a drug dealer without evidence.

"Besides, he associates you with me now. I'd still receive the payback," Max told her.

"So there's nothing you can do?" Kyoko asked him.

"I'll just have to get him the money somehow," Max said sighing.

"How much money do you need to pay him?" Kyoko asked.

"200 bucks," Max said rubbing his neck. Kyoko's mouth dropped for the second time as she heard the amount.

"Do you even have that kind of money?" She asked him. 200 dollars was not typical pocket change for high school students. Max was only a freshman. He wasn't old enough to have a part-time job.

"No, but I'll figure something out," he told her. Kyoko didn't know how he was supposed to come up with that kind of money. She doubted he could.

"Why don't you ask your parents for help?" She didn't expect his parents to fork over the money, but perhaps they could find a way to help get him out of this situation.

"Um, it's just my mom and me," Max told her. "She's no good at handling these kinds of things." He was avoiding her gaze again drawing in the dirt. Clearly, he didn't want her prying anymore into his mom.

"Could I have another water?" Kyoko asked changing the subject for him. She felt ready to drink some more. Her strength was returning slowly. Max got up and got another bottle.

"You're sure drinking a lot," he said as he handed her the pre-opened bottle.

"Yeah, I'm drinking a lot of water these days and have to be careful about getting dehydrated," she told him as she accepted the bottle from him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her questioningly. "I've never seen someone collapse from dehydration before," he said as he sat back down in his spot.

"Apparently, it's common for pregnant women," Kyoko said before thinking. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted it. Her eyes went wide as she looked at Max to see if he caught her words. He was staring back at her mouth open.

"You're pregnant!? My God! What if West had attacked you?" He grabbed his head with both hands becoming frantic. Then he looked at her again, "You have to stop interfering! He could hurt you!" Max said admonishingly.

_Yipes, now I'm being lectured by a teenager._ "I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me," Kyoko said trying to reassure him.

"You are _not _fine!" Max exclaimed. "You are sitting on the ground after collapsing. What if I hadn't caught you? Is the baby okay?" He asked switching his thoughts and looking at her stomach.

"The baby is fine," Kyoko told him. _I think. _"I didn't pass out this time, and you're giving me plenty of water," Kyoko said trying to get him to calm down.

"This time!?" Max yelled getting partially to his feet. "You've passed out before?" He asked leaning towards her searching her face with his eyes.

_Why do I keep saying things I shouldn't? _"I didn't know I was pregnant at that time. But I do now and know what I need to do to take care of myself. I'm already feeling stronger," she stood up to prove her point. "See? I can stand now on my own."

Max stood as well and kept his gaze on her. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.

"For the last time, I'm fine. But I will take another one of these bottles to carry with me," she said as she reached for one.

"Take two," Max said as he grabbed another and reached to put it in her purse for her. Kyoko was surprised by the action but let him do it. Men usually shied away from a woman's purse. But Max opened her purse and put the water in without hesitation. "I'll walk you back to the front yard where all the booths are," he told her.

"Thank you," she responded. "By the way, don't tell anyone I'm pregnant. It's still early on," Kyoko said shyly.

Max looked at her and nodded, "Of course, I won't tell anyone."

"You know, you're acting awfully friendly now. You were so hostile up until I got weak," she said teasingly.

"Oh, sorry about that," Max said looking down. "I just didn't want anyone involved. It wasn't your business. I don't like it when people meddle." He looked embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Why is someone trying to help such a bad thing?" Kyoko asked him.

"For starters, it's not like you can help," he said looking at her with his hand still on his neck. He brought it back down to his side as he continued, "and I didn't know you... I have a tendency to be rude when I first meet people." His cheeks turned slightly pink as he admitted his bad social skills.

Kyoko giggled at him. He looked cute at that moment, she couldn't help it. "Don't worry, the more people you meet the better you'll get at interacting with strangers." Kyoko took her phone out as they walked to check the time. It was almost one. "Max, could you show me where the stage is? I'm supposed to meet someone there," she said begrudgingly. She didn't want to meet up with Sho, but she agreed to it.

"Sure," Max said as they walked along.

* * *

Sorry about not posting last week. I didn't have anything written and decided to save what I wrote in the beginning of the week for today. This way I can prepare for next Friday with enough time. I would have continued to stay behind had I tried to post sooner. I should be able to stay on schedule for a few weeks but then things might get a bit crazy for me. We'll be moving sometime in January. If you ever want to know when the next update will be, feel free to drop in Discord. The invite link is in my profile.

I know everyone is anxious for Ren to return. I think he'll be back in 2-3 chapters. It depends on how long the next few scenes turn out to be.

Thanks for the correction on Ookami. Google translate failed me there.

Thanks for reading!

-Besma0003


	15. Bingo

Max left Kyoko by the stage. He said he had to get back to his classroom and help with the Tea Cafe. A crowd of people surrounded the stage. Whatever was going to happen, it was a huge event. Kyoko joined the throng of people getting as close as she could to the center of attention. A student walked up on stage with a microphone to address the crowd. He wore a black top hat to go along with his school uniform of a buttoned-up white shirt and black slacks. It was an interesting sight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Nick and I'll be your MC for this event. You're all probably wondering just what this event is exactly. We've kept it a secret and only put "main event" in the brochures you all received when arriving," Nick explained for everyone gathered to hear. "We're going to be playing Bingo. But not just any Bingo. It's going to be Princess Bingo."

Kyoko's heart beat faster upon hearing that. She kept her princess obsession quite but those who knew her well were aware that she was a princess fanatic. "If you look around you," he said flourishing his arms to get everyone to look around, "there are students wearing red aprons. They are selling Bingo cards 5 bucks apiece. With a card, you get a stamp to mark it. You are certainly welcome to buy more than just one."

Kyoko saw the students he was mentioning. Some looked embarrassed to have eyes on them while others were basking in the attention striking poses to make themselves stand out. "The way the game is going to work is this: a clue about a princess story will be read out and you have to figure out who the clue is referring to as well as find that person on your card. We'll be playing to blackout - meaning all spots on a card have to be marked in order to win," Nick explained while walking around the stage. He was clearly enjoying his role. Kyoko was impressed at how comfortable he was with public speaking. It didn't seem to phase him at all to be in front of a crowd. "What's the prize for the winner you ask?" He said wiggling his eyebrows. "We'll turn the winner into a fairy princess! Girls will get the opportunity to walk on stage as a fairy princess while the local news crew films. Guys will have the opportunity to gift the fairy princess walk to a lady of their choice." Now Kyoko was really excited.

"You'll have 15 minutes to buy cards and get last minute food and drinks before the start of the game," he said while holding his arm up with something in his hand. "Starting now!" He said pushing the button on the stopwatch he had raised up. Kyoko enjoyed the dramatization as she made her way to the closest student. There were enough students scattered around that no one had to wait long to get their cards. Kyoko only bought one. Just one would be plenty enough fun. Plus, she always had good luck with these types of games.

She ate her fill earlier and still had the water Max gave her. So she waited off to the side for the game to start after she got her card and stamp. The stamps to mark the cards with were cheap, dollar store stamps. Kyoko was relieved. Bingo dobbers could be messy if one wasn't careful with them. These stamps would be easy to use without a table.

While she waited, students carrying folding chairs started walking in front of the stage setting the chairs up for seats. _That's a good idea. It could be a while before there's a winner. If people get too tired of standing, they'll walk away and won't finish the game. _Everyone made room for the students who were quickly setting up seats.

It wasn't long before all the players were seated and Nick walked back up on stage. Kyoko noticed a table had been added to the stage with a big pink bucket sitting on it. Five students sat at the table to the left of the bucket. "The clues will be drawn from the pink princess bucket," Nick said. "I will read them off twice over the microphone so everyone can hear. Then I will give the clue to the students sitting here at the table who will keep track of them to help determine a winner later on." Nick flourished his arm at the students on stage with him. They were all girls and flushed pink at being the center of attention.

"Now, I will not be the one drawing the clues. For that, each grade has offered up a prince to help out," he pointed to the right of the stage as four young men walked up each wearing a different outfit. Kyoko saw a familiar pirate outfit in the group. "These dashing princes were picked because they are the fastest in their grade. Princes have to be athletic after all," Nick told the crowd. Kyoko had a feeling the pirate prince didn't want to be up there. Even without the disgruntled look on his face, this didn't seem quite his thing.

The four princes lined up in front of the table and sat on the stage so that the girls behind them were still visible.

"We are about to get this game in full swing, our freshman representative will start us off by picking the first clue," Nick said as he grabbed the bucket off the table. "But before I have him do that, there's something I would like to tell you all," he said as he looked down on the crowd intensely. "…you have just lost the game," his face smirked as he said the last word.

It took the students and guests a moment to register what he said before people started shouting out. A lot of "Augh!" was heard as people put their heads in their hands at learning they lost the game. Students yelled out at Nick and booed at him to get off the stage. Some looked confused as to what was going on while others chuckled at the fun joke.

All the while Nick stood on stage laughing at all the reactions. "Sorry, sorry," he said when he finally got his laughter under control. "I couldn't help it. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up," he wiped tears from his eyes as he handed the bucket to Max to pick the first clue. Kyoko noticed Max was glaring at him. He picked a clue from the bucket and handed it to Nick while passing the bucket on to the next prince.

Nick grabbed it to read for everyone to hear. "Okay, everyone, we're starting for real now. I have the first clue picked by our Freshman pirate prince Max!" Some students in the background cheered to show their support for their year mate. From Kyoko's seat, she could tell his face got a little pink from the cheers before he looked away to hide his face.

"Here's the first clue, which princess owns 20 corkscrews?" He waited a few moments before reading it again and passing the clue off to one of the girls. Kyoko smirked at the hint. It was a more difficult one. She knew the answer because she had belted out the song plenty of times as a kid. Granted, as a kid, she had no idea what the thingamabobs actually were. She realized it when she saw the singalong song as an adult.

She looked down at her Bingo card to see if Ariel was listed on it anywhere. The name stood out quickly. Ariel was under column B.

The game continued in that fashion for a while. Kyoko knew all the answers but not all of them were on her card. Questions were about more than just the princesses but about other characters in their stories as well. Kyoko was enjoying the game immensely as she marked off Maximus from _Tangled_ under O. That left her with only 2 spaces left to fill in. Others had already called Bingo but they all had errors in their cards. When the girls on stage checked the cards against their records of what had been called, there were mistakes. So the game continued.

The answer to the next question was Elinor from _Brave_. Kyoko looked over her card but didn't see the Queen's name anywhere. Nick called off the next clue, "Who sings the line 'Never had a friend like me!'?" That was an easy one, Genie, and one of the two she had left. Now she was down to one.

"Bingo!" Kyoko heard from the crowd behind her. A little girl brought her card up to the stage to be checked over. After a few minutes, Nick brought the microphone up to his mouth and announced it was another false bingo and the game would continue. The young girl walked back to her parents looking upset.

Kyoko only had one spot left to mark off. It was Tiana from _Princess and the Frog. _She waited anxiously for Nick to call out the next clue. The senior prince picked the clue and handed it over to be read. "Which princess was friends with a firefly who was in love with Evangeline?" Nick read out. Kyoko's mouth dropped as she heard it.

"Bingo!" She yelled out before even marking her card. She got out of her seat and brought her card up to the stage. She marked Tiana off right before handing it to Nick who brought it over to the girls to check the answers. Kyoko was confident that she got everything correct but she was still nervous. Several people had called bingo only to discover their card had errors.

She waited anxiously as Nick picked up the microphone and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner!" Kyoko only just barely contained a squeal of delight, but she couldn't stop her face from breaking out in a huge grin. The crowd clapped and cheered for her. There were a few who groaned at losing.

Nick invited her up on stage so she walked over to the stairs and made her way up. "Congratulations! Could you tell us the name of our winner please?" he asked holding the mike up for her to speak into it.

"Kyoko Mogami," she said leaning in a little to make sure her voice was picked up.

"Well Ms. Mogami, you've won the bingo challenge! Now you get to dress up like a fairy princess and be escorted by the princes to get a photo." The four young men, including Max, who had been sitting on the stage picking clues got to their feet and walked over to Kyoko. The girls brought the crown and a rainbow tye-dyed cloak with a wand. The crown was cheap plastic with plastic jewels. They put it on her head and put the wand in her hand. The wand was all glitter. She was going to have fun getting it out of her clothes later. Glitter always got everywhere.

The cloak was put around her shoulders and Kyoko used the broach to tie it in front of her. The cloak was of good quality even though the other items were cheap. It had the colors of the rainbow on it. Kyoko liked it quite a bit. She was thinking of using it as a throw blanket on her couch. It was floor-length and would be perfect to warm up under.

"Before our Fairy Princess Kyoko goes to get her picture taken, we would like her help with the school song," as Nick was speaking students came striding in around the stage taking their places. Kyoko watched as they organized themselves. They had planned everything meticulously. Even though there were several students, no one bumped into each other and found their designated spot easily. By the time everyone filed in, there were around 100 students waiting patiently for their school song to start.

Kyoko was paying so much attention to the students that she didn't realize a giant gong was being rolled onto the stage from the back. She only noticed the gong because the person pushing it caught her attention, Sho. She had no idea what he was doing but the students weren't phased by his presence. Apparently, he was part of this part of the show. He wheeled the gong over to her with a big, friendly grin on his face.

She immediately felt like a trap was coming. There was no way he would look that friendly at her. "I had a feeling you would win," he said to her as he approached. He took a mallet of the stand and gave it to her. "When Nick gives the signal, hit the gong as hard as you can with this." Kyoko could only nod as she tried to figure out his ulterior motive. _Maybe he's being nice because of the audience? _He definitely wasn't going to be nice for her sake.

He suddenly smacked her back near the collar of her shirt saying, "good luck!" and walked away. His smirk was mischievous. _He's definitely up to something. _But the students still looked like everything he had done was part of the plan. Nick went back to the center of the stage to start up the event. Kyoko noticed that the table the girls were sitting at and their chairs were moved off stage. The princes were standing in a row behind Nick.

"We're about to start our school song. We will have Fairy Princess Kyoko hit the gong to start us off. And don't forget, we have the local TV crew here recording live," he said pointing over to the left at a camera set up pointing at the stage. The people in charge of the camera waved to the crowd. Kyoko forgot that Nick mentioned something about TV crews earlier. She felt a bit embarrassed to be on stage in her current get up being recorded for all to see. _No, I'm going to enjoy myself. _She thought as she turned away from the crew and gave her attention back to Nick. She was having fun, and she wasn't going to let a little bit of embarrassment ruin that for her.

"Fairy Princess Kyoko, are you ready?" He asked looking over at her. She nodded in response. "Can you get us started then, please?"

Kyoko took a stance in front of the gong and brought the mallet up. She swung as hard as she could making the percussion instrument reverberate in the air. The students started up their school song singing it loudly and clearly for the crowd to hear.

Kyoko thought the show of school pride was a beautiful moment. The students worked hard to make their festival a success and they did a wonderful job with it.

She was enjoying listening to the song when she felt her shirt getting tugged. It happened suddenly and powerfully. The cloak she was wearing, along with her button-up shirt, was ripped right off from behind. Her buttons went flying out in front of her as she was left standing there shirtless in front of the crowd.

* * *

Being one of the princes was the last thing Max wanted to do. The school took the fastest run times out of each grade and made those individuals participate. Unfortunately, he was the fastest in his grade.

He went through the motions he was assigned. He was surprised to see that Kyoko won. It was a little more interesting having the winner be someone he knew. She looked happy dressed up in the Fairy Princess outfit. The officer who volunteered to help set up brought the gong on stage, wheeling it over to her. She was positioned all the way to the left of the stage by herself. The students were intentionally not assigned near her so that the Fairy Princess could stand out as much as possible.

Max watched the officer give her a slap on the back. _Is that appropriate? Especially since she's pregnant. Can her body handle being treated like that? _He worried as he watched. He noticed the officer's hand lingered a few seconds longer on her back than it should have. Max thought his behavior was odd but it seemed harmless enough. Kyoko looked surprised but unharmed.

She rang the gong at Nick's direction, and the students followed up with their song. Next to the stage where Kyoko was standing, the school flag was being raised. It was slow at first, but as the students reached a fast part of the song, those raising the flag pulled on their ropes as fast as they could sending the flag shooting up.

Max watched in horror as the flag quickly went up and Kyoko's cloak and shirt were ripped off of her to everyone's surprise. She stood in shock in just her bra and pants before reacting. She covered her stomach with her arms and crouched down trying to hide her body behind her legs.

* * *

Ren was sitting at his desk looking up information about Kayla Cord, the wife of his victim. He'd already checked into her social media profile but now he was checking into her professional life. He was looking to see if he could find anything that spoke about her behavior or personality. He had Kanae looking up the same information on Kylie Walker. Kylie was John's wife, the first person he had interviewed with Kyoko. Ren had clues as to what happened to the victim, Sean Cord, but he needed more evidence to prove it.

The office TV was on a local news station. It usually was. It mostly existed for background noise and provided a brief distraction when someone was overwhelmed by their work. Ren usually didn't pay much attention to it.

He was staring in its general direction trying to connect some clues in his head when it caught his attention. They were showing a school event. Ren knew the school. It was in the neighborhood he drove through to get home. It looked like the students were putting on quite the show. In the corner, he noticed someone who looked familiar.

"Kanae, is that Kyoko?" He asked pointing at the TV. Kanae looked up from her laptop and squinted at the screen.

"I think so. That school is in the same neighborhood as the church she's working in this week. I know the school and church have ties. It wouldn't surprise me if she was there to support the kids. But what is she doing in that getup?" Kanae said sounding disgusted. Kyoko was wearing a crown and had a tie-dyed cloak around her shoulders. It was certainly an interesting look.

Ren watched as she hit the gong and the kids started singing their school song. A flag started going up beside her just off stage. Ren saw some rope moving hesitantly behind her. _That's weird._ He thought as he watched.

The song picked up in pace and the flag-raising matched the change in tempo. It suddenly shot upward. Ren's mouth dropped in shock as he watched Kyoko's shirt get ripped off her as the flag flew upwards. She stood there processing what happened for a moment before throwing her arms over her center and crouching down. One of the students standing on center stage paced over to her taking his jacket off and covering her with it. The student seemed to be dressed as a pirate with a cutlass at his side.

The news cut from the scene preventing him from seeing any more. "It looks like we've lost connection," the anchorman said nervously. Clearly, they had cut the feed to save from further embarrassment.

* * *

Dun Dun Dun, now you all know what Sho was up to. The conclusion of this shocking event will be in the next chapter.

Which may or may not be next week. For the next two weeks, I might run into the same trouble I did during Thanksgiving which prevented me from writing. Hopefully not. If all goes well, you'll have a chapter with Ren in it during Christmas week. But unfortunately, I can't promise it. Fell free to drop into Discord (link in profile) to ask about if the update will be on time.

I'll explain 'the game' for those who are unfamiliar with it. It has one rule. The moment you think about the game you've lost. I saw a post on facebook about it when I first started thinking about putting a public contest in the story. I couldn't resist having the MC have some fun with it.

Thank you for all the comments!

-Besma0003


	16. Got Away with It

Ren watched Kanae trying to call her friend. This was her third time trying to reach Kyoko. She left a message the first time letting the other girl know they saw what happened on TV and wanted to make sure she was okay. But Kanae kept calling not wanting to wait around for a response. Apparently, Kyoko was notorious for not realizing she missed calls.

Watching her shirt get ripped off like that was shocking. Anyone would be embarrassed about it. He wanted to check on her himself. He was planning to offer to give Kanae a ride over to wherever Kyoko was at the end of the workday. They still had a few hours left before they were off for the day.

* * *

Kyoko was off the stage with Max's coat around her shoulders. He helped her walk off stage earlier, shielding her from prying eyes with his body. They were standing near the flag pole when a teacher came running over to see if she was okay.

"Ms. Mogami, are you alright? Were you hurt at all?" He asked as soon as he got close to her. His eyes looked her over for any sign of harm.

"I'm physically fine. But very embarrassed, and I'm afraid Max's coat isn't enough to cover me. My stomach is still showing," she said shyly. The coat covered her upper core but her stomach and lower back were still showing.

"Of course, we'll get you something right away!" The teacher told her looking around trying to think of what could be used.

"Why don't you use the cloak? It should be plenty big enough," said a voice from the last person she wanted to see right now. Kyoko tightened her arm around her stomach in preparation to deal with Sho. She turned to look at him and saw the mischievous look in his eye. "Look at this," he said holding her cloak and shirt out to her. There was a hook snagged in their collars attached to some rope. "Do you know how the flag rope got caught up in your clothes?"

Kyoko stood stunned for a moment as she processed what he was saying. A hook was stuck in her clothes. In the collar. Where Sho had slapped her on the back. He caused this incident. Kyoko's grudge demons started swirling around her ready to strike.

"You did this!" Max yelled from beside her leaping at Sho. He fisted his hands into Sho's clothes trying to get in his face. The only problem was Max was a short freshman. He only made it to about Sho's chin. Instead of looking menacing, he looked rather comical. Sho looked at him a little surprised but not threatened.

"Max! What do you think you are doing?!" The teacher yelled from behind Kyoko. "That is an officer of the law. You do not get physical with him. Let him go." The teacher walked up to stand beside Sho and Max. Max looked at him frustrated but let Sho go. Kyoko saw the brief smirk Sho showed.

"It's alright, teach. He's just worked up over having a friend being embarrassed. He just lashed out at the first person he could lay blame on. He's still young and doesn't have full control of his emotions," Sho told the teacher acting like a mature adult.

"Thank you for understanding, Officer Fuwa. Max," the teacher said turning to his student. "Apologize to Officer Fuwa for your outburst and for getting physical. He was kind enough to help us with our event today. Blaming him for the accident that happened to Ms. Mogami is unfair." Max looked at his teacher in disbelief. He bit his lip and closed his eyes for a brief moment before looking up at Sho.

"My apologies, Officer Fuwa," Max said looking him in the eye.

Sho smirked at the boy's spirit. "Don't worry about it. It's admirable to stick up for a woman in need," he said looking back at Kyoko. She was glowering at him doing everything in her power not to jump him herself. He unhooked the shirt and cloak from the hook holding the clothes out. "I believe these are yours?" He said knowingly.

Max snapped them out of his hands for her taking the big cloak and draping it over Kyoko's shoulders providing her more coverage. Wrapping the cloak around her was like wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. It really would be great to put on her couch.

Sho walked away after handing the clothes back. Kyoko glared at his back as he walked away. She would get her revenge for this. An idea was already brewing in her mind. He would regret this little stunt.

"Max, I'll look over your transgression towards the officer since he was willing to forgive you and because you're taking care of Ms. Mogami after such a terrible accident. But I never want to see such behavior from you again. Do you hear me?" The teacher said to Max.

"Yes, sir," Max responded. Kyoko could see the anger in his eyes. The teacher didn't comment on it, perhaps he didn't notice.

"Ms. Mogami, is there anything we can do for you? Do you need help getting home? A change of clothes perhaps? I'm sure we have spare gym clothes we can give you," the teacher offered her.

"Some gym clothes sound great. As much as I like this cloak, it's not convenient to be holding onto permanently," she told him.

"I'll find a female student to get you something immediately," he said right before walking off.

Max and Kyoko watched him walk away silently. Both of them were fuming over the incident. Kyoko was planning out how she was going to strike back. Max was raging at having to apologize to the man who caused the accident.

"He totally did that to you," Max finally said seething.

Kyoko looked over at Max surprised. She was so absorbed in her planning she didn't notice Max's anger. "Yes, he did. But don't worry, I know how to get back at him," Kyoko told Max smiling.

Before Max could respond, another student came up to them carrying Kyoko's purse. "Miss, is this yours?" The young girl asked.

"Yes, thank you," Kyoko said taking her things back. She reached in to grab a water when her hand brushed against her vibrating phone. She answered without checking the caller ID and was shocked at the voice on the other end.

"You finally picked up! I've been calling you for the last half hour trying to make sure you're okay. I saw what happened on TV," Kanae said aggressively. Kyoko smiled at the concern in her friend's voice as she assured her that she was alright, just embarrassed.

* * *

Kyoko spent the afternoon interviewing students about the school event. She learned about their set up process, how much fun they had with everything, and what their challenges were. She was wearing a gym shirt. A student brought it over to her while she was on the phone with Kanae.

Kyoko could have gone home right away. No one would blame her, but she had work to do. Max wanted to stay with her to make sure Sho didn't try anything more, but his classmates needed his help. Before leaving her side, he demanded to exchange phone numbers so she could call him in case Sho pulled any more stunts.

She was touched by his concern. Just this morning he was giving her the cold shoulder. Now, he was trying to protect her. Since breaking through his defenses earlier during the confrontation with West, Max was acting like an entirely different kid. He was very thoughtful and kind.

It was almost time for guests to leave so Kyoko made her way to the school gates. The school would close the gates to visitors and the students would have a dance to celebrate the end of the festival.

Kyoko wasn't sure how she was feeling about this next part. When she was on the phone with Kanae, her friend demanded that she would be picked up by her and Ren. The two of them talked it over while Kanae was trying to reach her. They both believed it wasn't a good idea for her to take public transportation right after being exposed on TV. It made her too easy a target.

She didn't mind being picked up by Kanae, she liked that part. But since Kanae couldn't drive any more than Kyoko could, Ren was helping out. Sure, her week with him ended well, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him so soon. She didn't want him seeing her like this. She didn't mind Kanae; she was another girl after all. But Ren was a respectable gentleman. Her cheeks tinged pink as she thought about how he saw her exposed on TV.

"Kyoko, were you okay the rest of the day?" Max said walking up to her. When Kyoko told him she was getting a ride home, he was obstinate about waiting with her until her friends arrived. It was adorable how protective he was being of her, and she appreciated it. She was able to relax a little with him nearby to keep an eye out.

The truth was she was stressed since the incident. She didn't know where Sho went and was afraid of him popping out suddenly for the rest of the day. But Max knew the truth of what happened and was on guard for her. It lifted some of the pressure she'd been feeling.

"I was fine, Max," she told him trying not to worry him. "I finished the day without incident and got some good interviews done." He looked at her disbelievingly. "What?" She asked at his look.

"You lost your strength earlier today and then went through that horrible event. Isn't that a lot of stress for someone…in your condition," he said hesitantly. He was trying not to say she was pregnant since she'd asked him to keep it a secret but couldn't stop himself from asking about her health.

"I've made sure to drink lots of water. There's been no problems," she said trying to reassure him. He still didn't look like he believed her even though she was telling the truth. She was physically fine.

Ren's car pulled up as Max was eyeing her trying to gauge if she was being honest or not. The car barely stopped before Kanae jumped out to run over to Kyoko. "Are you sure you're okay?" Her friend asked looking into her eyes grabbing her shoulders. Seeing the face of her best friend flooded her body with relief. The tears from the embarrassment she'd been holding back were threatening to drop. She didn't want to cry in front of Max. He was worried enough about her.

"I'm fine," Kyoko told her friend. The look on Kanae's face told her she didn't believe the lie.

"You're the young man who reacted to the situation quickly, aren't you?" Ren said to Max. His voice pulled her attention from Kanae. She didn't notice him get out of the car. He was standing next to Max giving him an approving look. "It was quick thinking. Thank you for taking care of one of my partners," Ren said holding his hand out to Max.

Max shook his hand looking embarrassed. Kyoko doubted he'd ever been treated like an equal by adults. "I-it was nothing," he stammered to Ren.

"I should get you both home now," Ren said turning to Kanae and Kyoko to move them along.

"Right," Kyoko said taken in by his gentlemanly manner. "Max, I'll be going now. Thanks for everything today," she said waving goodbye as she got into Ren's car. Both women got in the back seat so they could easily chat while Ren drove.

* * *

It's a little short but I think this is a good spot to stop for now.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Ours was pretty chill. We're waiting to do a full Christmas next month. Since my daughter's not even two yet she doesn't know the difference.

I didn't experience any trouble this past week like I thought I might. So I think I'll be good next week too. I shouldn't have any problem posting next Friday.

Thanks for all your comments! Everyone was really fired up at what Sho did. It was fun reading your reactions. To answer the question on everyone's mind: she does not have a bump yet. In story, it's only been one day since her doctor's appointment when she found out she's 10 weeks along. Women usually don't start showing until 12-16 weeks. Size and genetics play factors in when it happens.

Thanks for reading!

-Besma0003

PS: This chapter wasn't proofread. Hopefully, there aren't any major mistakes.


	17. Plotting Revenge

"What happened today?" Kanae asked Kyoko once Ren got the car going down the street. "Start from the beginning. What were you doing on stage in that ridiculous outfit? I see you've brought part of it with you," Kanae said as she pointed to the cloak Kyoko held in her lap with her torn shirt.

"There was a Bingo competition and I won," Kyoko replied intentionally leaving out that it was a princess bingo game. Kanae would roll her eyes and it would be embarrassing to have Ren overhear. "The reward was to go on stage in that outfit and ring the gong to start the school song."

Kanae didn't reply verbally but the look she gave Kyoko clearly meant, "you're crazy". Kanae would never dream of playing a game for that kind of reward. She sighed before responding, "So how did the wardrobe malfunction happen?" Kanae jumped back a bit as the atmosphere in the back seat suddenly went dark. She couldn't see them, but Kyoko's grudge demons were swirling around.

"HE happened," Kyoko said looking at her friend intently.

"He?" Kanae questioned.

"Sho put a hook through my shirt that was attached to the flag rope. When the flag was raised, the rope was pulled and my shirt went with it." Kyoko was fuming at the memory. She'd forgotten Ren was in the car until he spoke.

"Sho? You mean Officer Fuwa? The one you have a grudge against?" He said while trying to look at her in the rear-view mirror.

"Y-yes," Kyoko responded while trying to avoid his gaze in the mirror.

"That ex of yours, huh?" Kanae said contemplatively. "He certainly is a piece of work."

"Yes, but he won't get away with this!" Kyoko exclaimed clenching her fist.

"What do you plan to do?" Kanae asked.

Kyoko smirked before replying. "I spent the afternoon interviewing different people, guests of the event and students. Plenty of witnesses can attest that he was the only person who came near me. Several also saw how he patted my back. They didn't see him put the hook in my clothes, but that was the only opportunity for my clothes to be messed with." She was proud of herself for gathering all this evidence. Finally, she could expose Sho for what he was.

"That's great and all, but what are you going to do with this information?" Kanae asked her.

"I'm in charge of writing the church's blog post for this week. The blog is used to talk about different events that happen in the community and the church itself. I'll expose him there!" Kyoko said excitedly.

She was shocked to sense a sudden darkness coming from the driver's seat. Her main grudge demon was slowly making its way over to the negative energy as if being lured in. "Uh, Ren, why are you angry?" Kyoko asked him hesitantly.

"Why would I be angry?" He said flashing her a dazzling smile in the rear-view mirror. _That smile definitely does not match what he's thinking! _"Officer Fuwa wronged you. It only makes sense that you want to get back at him. So you'll use the platform that's supposed to promote positive events in the community, and reflect well on the church, to expose his treatment of you." Kyoko winced at his words and never-ending smile.

"The blog is supposed to talk about community events. This happened at a community event!" Kyoko shot back. "Besides, it's a reporter's job to expose corruption." She was not going to back down on this. Sho deserved every bit of humiliation she could throw at him.

"Oh," Ren drawled out the word. "So pulling a prank on you is the equivalent of corruption? I always thought corruption was widespread abuse of power across an organization. But you're the reporter, I'm sure you know best what corruption is since it's your job."

The sarcasm dripping from Ren's words made both Kanae and Kyoko flinch. "So what, I just let what he did slide? He exposed me on live TV!" Kyoko said while blushing and subconsciously covering her stomach with her arms.

"I never said that what he did was right and does not deserve punishment. I'm just pointing out the holes in your plan for revenge," he replied calmly. "Besides, once you get revenge on him this time, won't he retaliate in kind? Then it'll just be a game of tit for tat."

Kyoko clenched her teeth and looked away from Ren. _He's impossible to deal with when he gets like this! He won't listen to reason!_

The car came to a stop while Kyoko was avoiding looking at him. She looked out the window to see her apartment. They arrived at her home without her noticing. "Thank you for the ride," she mumbled as she got out of the car. Kanae got out with her.

Ren looked at her as she got out, "Make sure you think about who you're representing and the consequences of your actions before posting anything." He drove off after giving her the warning.

"I didn't know he could get like that," Kanae said from beside her. "I've only ever seen him act like a gentleman."

"It seems to be an attitude that he reserves for me. I've seen it before," Kyoko said replying to her friend. She sighed before continuing, "he acted like that when we first started working together. But we were getting along well at the end of the week so I thought his opinion of me changed. But I guess not. He still hates me," she told Kanae.

"Hmm," was all the reply Kanae gave before changing the topic. "Do you think your pregnancy was exposed?" She asked.

"No, I'm not showing yet. But someone did find out about it today," Kyoko tried to say it nonchalantly but it didn't help.

"WHAT?!" Kanae exclaimed. "Who, how?" She demanded.

"Come on up and I'll explain," Kyoko said leading the way into the apartment building.

* * *

Ren was furious at a few things at the moment. He'd kept his temper in check while he was driving but now that he was home, his anger was rolling off of him in waves.

The first thing he was mad at was obvious: Officer Fuwa's prank. Just how childish could he be to do that to someone? And he did it on live TV! He was a poor excuse for an officer as far as Ren was concerned.

As mad as he was at Fuwa, he was madder at Kyoko. What was she thinking trying to expose him on a church's platform? Not only would it reflect poorly on Fuwa, but also the church and the school. It would be negative publicity for two organizations she was supposed to be helping. She was already heading down a path to get her revenge regardless of who got hurt in the process.

He thought better of her. He liked working with her and admired her work ethic. She was capable of so much more than petty revenge. But as long as she had Officer Fuwa on her mind, she would never live up to her full potential. She would hurt people unrelated to her grudge with the articles she posted and eventually get fired due to her tunnel vision.

As much as he tried not to, he thought often of their night together. She had been curious, sweet, and playful despite the pain she was suffering due to her breakup. To see her personality twisted into its current state infuriated him. His fury smoldered in his chest as he thought about the one who gave her reason to be fueled by hatred. The one who hurt her deeply.

* * *

Kanae left Kyoko's place shortly after hearing the story about Max. She had to get home, and Kyoko had work to do. She sat in front of her laptop ready to type her story about Sho.

Ren's words invaded her mind before she had a chance to type anything. She clenched her teeth in anger thinking about his domineering attitude and lecture. She would get back at Sho. If he acted up again afterward, she wouldn't hesitate to respond in kind again.

She got to work on her scathing article about the officer who embarrassed a participant in the main event of the school fair.

* * *

Sho couldn't wait to see the results of his work. Kyoko couldn't handle a lot of pressure. The embarrassment from being publicly exposed, not just in front of a crowd but on TV too, would be too much for her. She would go crawling back home where she belonged.

* * *

Kyoko made sure to get to the church early the next morning. She wanted to print out her article to review it. She reviewed it on her computer at home but she proofread better on paper copies. It was satisfying to mark a paper copy to note mistakes and better wording.

The janitor let her into the building. Only a few people were there this early. She quickly logged in and printed off her work. She was searching for a pen when the janitor interrupted her.

"Ms. Kyoko, a young man is here to see you," he told her popping his head into the library.

"Me?" Kyoko asked pointing to herself. She'd only been here a few days. She couldn't imagine that anyone would have business with her.

"Yes," the janitor responded. Kyoko logged off the computer and grabbed her printed copy before following him to the door. She was surprised to see who was waiting for her.

"Max, is everything okay?" She asked worriedly. Max never sought her out before.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday's events," he said sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm fine. It was embarrassing for sure, but also not the end of the world," Kyoko told him

"You mentioned you have a way to get back at him." Kyoko only nodded in response. "Can I help?" Max blurted out. "I can't believe he would do something like that. He's scum!" He shouted.

Kyoko was touched at his display of anger for her sake. "I appreciate it," she told him. "But I'm getting back at him through work. It's not something you can help with." He looked down at her response, but it was true. She already had the article written. All that was left was to make corrections and post it. "Speaking of yesterday," she said after a moment's thought. "What are you going to do about West? How are you going to get money for him?"

"Oh, ah…" he avoided her gaze and shuffled his feet while trying to figure out how to get out of this conversation.

"Out with it," Kyoko demanded.

"I don't know," he said sighing. "I'm too young to get a job to be able to give him the money he wants. But I also can't prove that I'm innocent. I'll probably just end up taking a beating." He mumbled the last bit but Kyoko still heard it.

"What about your parents? They must be able to help in some way?" Kyoko asked him.

"It's just my mom and I," he told her. "She has a lot to worry about. I don't want her stressing out over this."

Kyoko eyed him not sure what to think. She had no idea how to help him out of his predicament but she also didn't want him to get beat up again. _How can I help him?_

As she was thinking over options, another face showed up. This one was less welcome. "Kyoko, what a pleasure to see you this morning," Sho said grinning widely at her. He was never here this early. She didn't know what he was up to but she already knew she didn't like it.

"Sho, why have you graced us with your presence this morning?" She asked through gritted teeth. Max wasn't even trying to hide the scowl he was giving the officer.

"I wanted to check up on you. Yesterday's incident must have been shocking and frightening. I wanted to offer my aid if you needed any help to get back home," he told her trying to act gallantly.

"What do you mean help me get home? I got home just fine yesterday and will today too." She was confused. _Why would he help me get home?_

"I don't mean home where you are living now but home as in back with my parents," he told her with a smug smile.

Realization dawned on her. "I see, you think that just because you embarrassed me I would run back to your parent's house. I don't think so, Sho. You're not getting rid of me that easily," she told him happily. "In fact, I already have my revenge for yesterday planned," she said waving her article in front of him.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I said I already have my revenge planned. You see, I'm a reporter now. Asking people questions and getting information is part of my job. I have plenty of evidence that would lead any rational person to the conclusion that you were behind yesterday's accident," Kyoko said smugly. It felt so good to return his smugness back at him.

He reached out to try to snap the paper from Kyoko's hand but she pulled it back out of his reach. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked him. "You'll have to wait to see the article when it gets posted along with everyone else. No sneak peeks," she said teasingly.

"Wow," Kyoko heard from beside her. It was Max. She totally forgot he was there in her exchange with Sho. He was looking at her with a sense of wonder in his eyes. Apparently, he was impressed with how she was handling Sho.

A new plan entered Kyoko's mind as she looked at the young man who used his own jacket to cover her yesterday and rushed over early in the morning to check on her. "You know," she said turning back to Sho. "I could be convinced to not post this article and delete my digital copy of it…for a price," she said using a conniving smile.

"...what?" Sho said as he took a step back on guard against Kyoko's attitude.

"My friend Max here has a bit of a problem at school," Kyoko said waving at Max to get Sho to look at him. "A big dealer of Ecstasy has been bullying him recently. If that dealer were to have some trouble with the police that got him suspended, I think I would be so happy that I would forget all about this article." Kyoko kept a smile plastered on her face as she spoke.

"A dealer? Do you know when he's usually carrying?" Sho asked turning to Max.

At this point, Max's mouth dropped open. Kyoko was using blackmail on a police officer. And she was blackmailing him for _his _sake. "He always has a stash on him at lunchtime, but only a small amount. After school, he goes to an abandoned locker where he keeps a large amount. The lock on it was broken and the school didn't want to pay the money to fix it. So they just left it as is. He found a trick to opening it and has been using it without the faculty knowing," Max confessed.

"I can do something with that," Sho said thinking before turning back to Kyoko. "So if I arrest this kid for drug dealing, you won't post a scathing article about me?" He asked her.

"At least not this time," Kyoko replied.

"Hey kid, what's the locker number?" Sho asked Max keeping his eyes on Kyoko.

"It's 301. Everyone knows to stay away from it in case West thinks you're trying to steal from his stash," Max told him.

"Alright, I'll do something about the little drug dealer today. So do we have a deal?" Sho asked Kyoko.

"We have a deal," she told him while handing him the sheet of paper with her article written on it. "Once Max is no longer in danger, I'll delete the digital copy. And of course," Kyoko added, "there is to be no way West can trace getting caught back to Max."

"I figured," Sho said taking the paper and walking away.

Max and Kyoko watched him walk away. Kyoko felt great about this achievement. It wouldn't bring shame to Sho, but it was amazing grinding him under her heel like that. She could get used to this feeling.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Max asked her.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko said turning to him confused.

"He's going to get away with what he did to you if you don't post your article," Max said.

"Don't worry about that. This exchange was satisfying in its own way. Getting him to take care of this problem for you is completely worth it," Kyoko told him.

"Um, thank you," Max said looking down embarrassed. "Honestly, I want to refuse letting you do this for me, but I can't think of any other way to get West to leave me alone." He looked back up at her before continuing, "So if there's ever anything you need me to do just ask! I'll even babysit for free after the baby is born."

Kyoko was taken aback by his determination. After the initial shock wore off she smiled at him. "I can't think of anything I'll need help with right now, but I'll remember your offer."

* * *

In answer to a question I got, Ren already knows where Kyoko lives. He picked her up at her home during the week they worked together.

Happy New Year everyone! I'm looking forward to this year. I hope you all are too.

Next week's chapter will probably be posted on Thursday instead of Friday. I'll be busy that day.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

-Besma0003


	18. Stalker

Kyoko spent her day making phone calls asking local businesses if they would buy an ad for the church's annual talent show. It was still a few months away but sponsors needed to be identified early.

The talent show was for the local teenagers. Anyone aged 13 to 19 could participate. It gave kids from struggling homes a chance to demonstrate they were good at something and able to work hard. Potential employers and scouts from universities were invited to attend. If they liked what they saw, some kids were offered scholarships or jobs.

In order for the event to be a success, food and drinks were provided by the church. Those who placed in the top 3 in the contest also received a prize. All of these things required money which is where the sponsors Kyoko was trying to find came in. All the numbers she was calling were past donors so most said yes. A few were unable to donate this year leaving Kyoko a little short of her budget goal.

She thought for a few minutes of who else might be willing to donate before grabbing her phone and calling work.

"LoveMe Newspaper, how may I help you?" Kyoko heard the receptionist say.

"Hi, this is Kyoko Mogami. One of the new hires shadowing around town this month," Kyoko explained. She wasn't sure if she would be able to reach the person she wanted. "I was hoping to be able to talk to the boss."

"You're in luck. He just got back to his office. I'll check real quick if he's available and patch you through if he is," the receptionist told her before putting her on hold. Kyoko was on hold for about a minute before the receiver was picked up again.

"Ms. Mogami, it's good to hear from you," Lori Takarada said. Kyoko was surprised to hear his voice instead of the receptionist but was glad she could reach him.

"Boss, I was wondering if the Newspaper could sponsor a local event?" She blurted out not sure how to approach the subject so she just word vomited it.

"That depends, what are the details?" Lori asked her over the phone.

"The church I'm shadowing at right now holds a yearly talent show for the local youth. It's an opportunity for them to get noticed by potential schools or employers but they need sponsors to pull it off. A $25 donation guarantees a spot in the program. $100 gets that plus an ad placed on the food table. And $500 adds being announced on stage as a sponsor of one of the talents. The coordinator would send you a list of who's participating and what their talent will be for you to choose who you want to sponsor," she explained.

"Hm, I'd heard that events like this were done from time to time," Lori told her. "LoveMe will donate $100 to be added to the program and get an ad on the food table. I would like to see a list of performances. If any of them have the potential to spread love, I'll donate an extra $500 to sponsor that act," he said seriously.

Kyoko was a little surprised at first that he would give that much money, but the spreading love condition made sense. He was a love monster after all. "Thanks, Boss! I'll put you down for $100 and will let Haruki know to send you more details about the acts."

"Sounds good. By the way, how is the shadowing going?" He asked changing the subject abruptly on her.

"It's going good. I'm learning a lot. Seeing the investigative process last week with Ren showed me how much work is done before arrests are made. This week Haruki is teaching me about providing aid that helps someone and doesn't just make them dependent. They're very different topics but it's interesting how both jobs work towards making the city a better place," Kyoko said thinking out loud. She was enjoying her shadow work. She'd never seen the city from these angles before. Her world had always consisted of getting to a random job, buying groceries, and heading home. How different careers work together to combat the current crime wave to make the city better never would have occurred to her. It really took all kinds of people to accomplish big tasks.

"Keep thinking about that as you continue your shadowing. As a reporter, you need to be able to look at stories from multiple angles in order to get the most complete picture you can. You'll never be able to fully understand a situation. But if you're able to see from multiple perspectives, your articles will help the readers form their own opinions about the topics you write about rather than only see your opinion," he informed her.

Kyoko felt like he just shared a super secret of journalism with her. She would make sure to remember it always. "Thanks, Boss! I'll remember that as I finish out this week and the next!"

She hung up with him after exchanging goodbyes. She sat in her seat staring at her phone. She didn't want to call the next person she thought of. Unfortunately, he was the only other one she could think of who could help.

* * *

Ren was walking into Yukihito's lab when his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket to see who was calling and was surprised by the caller ID.

"Kyoko, I wasn't expecting to hear from you today," he said answering the phone. After the lecture he'd given her the day before, he figured she would avoid him.

"Um, yeah. I'm calling because I have a favor to ask," he heard her say. _What kind of favor could she want?"_

"What is it?" he asked. She explained the talent show to him and the different amounts for ad placements.

"Do you think the precinct would be willing to sponsor?" She finished.

"I don't know. That's not really my department. You'd have to ask our PR person about it. I'm in Yukihito's lab at the moment. I can swing by the PR desk later and get you a number to call," he told her while nodding at Yukihito who had only just looked up from his work at hearing his name. Apparently, he didn't notice Ren before then.

"That works. I'd appreciate it," Kyoko said. Ren thought she was going to hang up but she added one more thing. "I thought about what you said…and figured out an alternative. Um, bye." She quickly hung up without giving him an opportunity to respond. Ren looked at his phone confused as to what she meant. _Is she not going to write that scathing article she mentioned?_

"Who were you talking to?" Yukihito asked him curiously. "You don't usually take calls like that at work."

"It was Kyoko. She was asking if the precinct would donate for an event the church she's shadowing at will host. I'll get her the PR number later," Ren responded.

"Hmm," Yukihito said while looking at Ren contemplatively.

"What is it?" Ren asked feeling a little creeped out by the stare.

"You seem to act differently whenever Kyoko is involved. There's this call but also your behavior last week. Specifically, eating meals with her. You usually skip lunch altogether. But you happily ate with her every day last week," Yukihito said staring at him.

"I can't exactly let a girl eat by herself can I? Especially when we're working together," Ren told him trying to get him to drop it.

"But you let Kanae eat alone and you're working with her this week," Yukihito pushed.

Ren gave him a glare before responding. "That's because she leaves to go eat and comes back on her own. Kyoko either brought extra food for me or we'd be out doing interviews together when it was time to eat," Ren explained. The habits between the women were different so he responded differently. That's all there was too it.

"If you say so," Yukihito said giving him a knowing look.

Ren sighed at his persistence. "Would you just show me the results already?" Ren said turning the conversation back to work.

* * *

Kyoko was all done for the day and was waiting for Max before leaving. He promised to stop by after school to let her know if Sho followed through with arresting West for drug trafficking.

She was waiting outside enjoying the warm weather when she spotted someone staring at her from across the street. At first, she thought he just happened to be looking in her direction and looked away to avoid the awkwardness. But he was still looking at her when she peeked back. Feeling creeped out, Kyoko walked back into the church to wait for Max there.

It wasn't much longer before he showed up looking ecstatic. "It was awesome! As West was getting into his drug locker and pulling stuff out, the police showed up and arrested him. He was caught red-handed. He's probably going to be expelled," Max told her before she could even say hi.

"That's great! Now you don't have to worry about paying him money anymore," Kyoko told him.

"Thank you," Max said looking her in the eyes. "I wouldn't have been able to get out of this situation on my own. At least, not in a good way. If there's anything I can ever do to repay you, please let me help." Kyoko was a little surprised at the seriousness of his tone. He meant every word that he said. She didn't know how he could pay her back, but she knew she had to figure out a way for him to do so. It would weigh on him to be in her debt like this.

"If something comes up, I'll definitely let you know," she said nodding at him. "But for now, why don't we head home."

They left the church together with Max filling her in on all the details of the drug bust. Apparently, officers were still at the school going over the locker and searching the surrounding area. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the man waiting at the bus stop as they approached.

"You're her, aren't you?" He said to Kyoko grabbing both her's and Max's attention. They swiveled their heads to look at him surprised to have their conversation interrupted. It was the same man from earlier who was staring at her from across the street. He had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was clean-shaven and wearing casual clothes.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked nervously.

"The woman on TV who was shirtless," he responded shifting his eyes down to look at her chest.

Kyoko turned scarlet at his words and behavior and crossed her arms in front of her while taking a step back. Max stepped forward in front of her at the same time. "Who are you?" He said tersely.

"I'm a fan. It was a horrible accident to happen. But she was so graceful up on stage. I just had to meet her in person," the man told them.

Kyoko was feeling more and more uncomfortable the more he spoke. She couldn't see Max's face from behind but his shoulders looked tense as he stood between her and the man.

"You've met her. Now it's time for you to leave," Kyoko looked at Max surprised. Even though he was just a teenager, he was speaking with authority to the man. It was almost like he'd done this before.

"But I'd love to sit and have dinner with her," the man said pleading. Kyoko definitely did not like where this was going. Before Max had a chance to respond, she spoke up for herself.

"It's time for me to go home now. I can't have dinner with you. My boyfriend is waiting for me." The bus pulled up as she was speaking.

"Why don't you get on, miss?" Max said avoiding using her name in front of the man. "I'll keep this guy entertained for you." He turned to look at her to make sure she understood. Kyoko needed no plodding.

"Okay then, see you later," she said to Max before getting on the bus.

"We're not getting on. We were just waiting with her," Max told the bus driver who nodded and closed the doors then drove off. Kyoko watched Max in the back window as long as she could before the bus turned a corner. He was still squaring off with the stranger.

* * *

Kyoko worried all night. She didn't have Max's number so she couldn't call to check and make sure he got home safely. He gave it to her at the school fair, but she lost the paper he wrote it on. She got up early and went to work early for the second day in a row. As the bus got closer to the church, she kept glancing around to make sure she couldn't see the man anywhere. Once she got off the bus, she ran to the church to get inside. Thankfully, the janitor was near the door and let her in quickly. She was hoping Max would stop by before school again so she could make sure he was alright.

But he didn't. Kyoko worried all morning about whether or not Max was fine. She worked on writing a new article for the blog as she worried. She posted it when she finished and made herself a paper copy to hang on her wall at home. It was her first official publishing. She wanted to remember it.

Around lunchtime, she looked out the window of the library and saw the man from yesterday staring at the church. _I hope Max is alright. _She debated calling the cops but she didn't know if anything even happened after she left. _Why did I leave him in that situation?! I'm the adult! I shouldn't have left him._ She knew she shouldn't have left a high school freshman to deal with the stalker yesterday, but she was so frightened she wasn't thinking straight. She'd never felt so defiled just by having someone look at her. The man's stares made her skin crawl. Max acted so confident when he stepped up to block her from the man. She went with his flow and let him handle the situation. But now she didn't know if he was okay.

She decided to hold off on calling the cops until she could check on Max. If nothing happened yesterday and he was just at school, she would be wasting precious time of the police. She wanted to be sure before she made the call. She would head over to the school before the students were released and wait for him by the gate. If she didn't see him, she would call the cops.

There was only one problem with her plan. To get to the school she had to go outside where the stalker was waiting for her. Kyoko wasn't sure who to ask for help. Haruki left before lunch to go to an appointment and wasn't coming back. Most of the staff took off at lunchtime on Fridays. She would have left as well, but she was busy replying to people who commented on her article. By the time she finished, most everyone else was gone. The stalker being outside prevented her from leaving as she planned.

She didn't mind waiting around until school let out but that only postponed her problem, not solved it.

To keep herself busy until school ended, Kyoko cleaned anything within sight. Moving helped keep her fears manageable. Most of the areas didn't need cleaning, the janitor did his job well. But it didn't hurt to re-clean. As she went about her task, her mind turned over her situation trying to find a possible solution.

She was at a loss sitting on the floor staring at the spot she intended to scrub when her phone buzzed. It broke her from her trance as she checked it. She was surprised to see it was from Ren.

**_Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday. The number for PR is 555-345-9765._**

Kyoko stared at her phone wondering if she was just graced with her answer. Ren could help her. Sure, he didn't like her, but he was a detective and took his job seriously. He wouldn't stand by and do nothing if someone was in trouble. And if Max really was in trouble, he could raise the alarm better than she could.

Before she could think twice about her decision, she texted him back.

**_Could you help me? There's a strange man stalking me and I'm worried someone might not be okay. I'm at the Star Point Church._**

Not even a minute passed before she got a response.

**_On my way__._**

Kyoko felt immediate relief seeing his reply. Then she panicked. _Oh my God! What if I'm just overreacting and this is nothing?! What if Max is completely fine and that dude is harmless? I'll have gotten in the way of his important work for my silly fears._

Kyoko got up and put away her cleaning supplies to wait for Ren. Even though she was worried she was wasting Ren's time, she felt relief underneath it.

She anxiously waited by the door for him to arrive. It was a glass door so she was able to stand safely inside while looking outside. To her surprise, she saw Max coming from down the street. He ran to the door when he noticed her waiting and she let him in.

"Max!" She yelled pulling him into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried something might have happened to you yesterday! I'm so sorry for leaving you to deal with that situation alone. It was unfair of me to expect you to handle that," Kyoko blurted out while holding him tight. She was so happy to see he was safe.

"Um, Kyoko, you're hurting me," he gasped out. She quickly let go to let him breathe. "I'm fine," he told her after taking a few breaths. "I don't think that guy is all that dangerous. He's a stalker, but not the type to act. He didn't put up much of a fuss after you got on the bus. He just gave me a disappointed look and walked away."

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the floor. "Thank God," she said as the anxiety she'd kept pent up all day flowed out of her in relief.

"I'm glad you're still here though. I know the church is usually closed on Friday afternoons. I wanted to be able to see you again before you leave. But I woke up late and had to rush to school this morning. So I couldn't stop by on my way. You're only here for this week right?" He asked her looking a little embarrassed.

"Yes, I'll be moving on to another shadow job next week," Kyoko responded feeling warmed by his affection for her. "Even if I'm not working here, we can still meet up from time to time. We're friends now, right?" She said smiling at him while she stood back up.

"R-right," he responded excitedly. "Why are you still here anyway? Isn't most everyone gone?" He added after a moment.

"Yes," Kyoko sighed. "But the stalker is outside," she told him.

"What?! Where? I didn't see him on my way in," Max said shocked.

"Over here," Kyoko said leading him to a window on the other side of the church. Sure enough, the stalker was still standing there. "I was too afraid to go outside with him standing there."

"This could be a problem," Max said after looking out the window. "He didn't seem the type to act. But he's clearly the persistent type," he said thinking over the situation.

"Max, you sound like you know a lot about stalkers," she told him confused by his calculating behavior. "Yesterday too, you reacted really calm and authoritatively."

"My mom's had stalkers before that I've had to help her take care of," he said it like it was no big deal. But Kyoko was shocked to hear that he'd dealt with these situations before. Not only that, but it seemed his mom had frequent stalkers. She couldn't imagine dealing with this more than once. She shivered at the thought.

"I can go out there and distract him while you slip away," Max told her.

"Absolutely not!" She responded fiercely. "I've been so worried since last night that something might have happened to you. Something COULD have happened. We're lucky it didn't. I'm not making that mistake twice," she told him leaving no room for argument.

"Okay," he said taken aback. He wasn't expecting such a strong reaction from her. "A direct confrontation probably won't work. Stalkers who are persistent like this won't listen to reason. You won't be able to convince him to stop, not even with threats." Kyoko listened as Max thought out loud. He really was a smart kid.

The two were focused on their conversation and didn't notice someone approach the entrance on the other side of the room. The knock shocked them both as they looked to see who it was. Kyoko froze in terror upon seeing her stalker out the door. She looked quickly out the window next to her to see that he wasn't there anymore. _When did he leave his position and come up to the door?_ She was very glad that the door was locked. He couldn't get in unless they let him, and they certainly weren't going to do that.

Her stalker knocked again smiling at her. "Let me in," she heard him say through the door. Before Kyoko could think of a way to react, another figure approached the door. This one she was happy to see. "Ren," she said under her breath happier than she ever thought she would be to see him.

"What?" Max said looking at her unsure of what she said.

Ren walked up to the door ignoring the stalker and knocked. "You asked me to come pick you up. I'm here, let's go," he said to her.

Kyoko grabbed Max by the arm and led him to the door. "We're going," she told him as she moved. Max silently obeyed recognizing the man from the other day who picked her up from the school fair.

Ren and the stalker stepped back as Kyoko opened the door outward leading Max outside. She checked the door behind her to make sure it was still locked before turning to Ren. "Thanks for coming," she told him and meant every word.

"Of course," he said nodding to her.

"Who is this?" The stalker asked looking at Ren nervously.

Max spoke up first. "Her boyfriend," he said cooly. Kyoko stood frozen, shocked at his words. _Max! What are you saying?!_

"That's right," Ren said putting his arm around her. "My dear texted me earlier saying she needed a ride home from her volunteer work. So of course, I came. I can't say no to her," Ren swept down and kissed her on top of the head to accentuate his words. It was all Kyoko could do to keep her mouth from dropping in shock.

"Oh, well, um," the stalker stammered at the display of affection. He took a step back in his surprise. What Kyoko didn't know was going on was the glare Ren was giving him. While Ren's lips were kissing the top of her head, his eyes were daggers to the man in front of them with the clear message "she's mine" portrayed in them. "I guess I'd better be going then," he said before turning and running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Ren watched the potential stalker run away taking note of his smell. He didn't expect the man to be back. Weak willed individuals like him didn't like challenging anyone who asserted dominance. The glare Ren gave him should have been more than enough to keep him away. Of course, Kyoko didn't belong to Ren, and he had no intention of making her his, but the stalker didn't know that. The boyfriend excuse the kid pulled out worked well.

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Ren made sure to make a mental note of his smell.

He let go of Kyoko once the man was out of sight. It was harder to do than he expected. Her scent was just as intoxicating as ever. She stood there looking shocked like she couldn't process what just happened. _I guess our relationship has been rather rocky. I can't blame her for being surprised._

Ren turned his attention to the kid while Kyoko got over her shock. He was surprised to find him glaring. "That was quick thinking," he told him trying to soothe whatever had the kid upset. "You seem to work well under stressful situations. You were quick to cover her up during that incident a few days ago as well," Ren smiled trying to be friendly but the kid just kept glaring at him.

He sighed and closed his eyes briefly before responding, "Yeah, you played your part well too." Ren watched as the kid walked over to Kyoko to shake her out of her shock. "Kyoko, you can head home safely now," he told her.

"R-right," Kyoko replied coming out of her shocked state. "Thank you for your help," she said turning to Ren. "I'll be heading home now."

"Um, no, I'll drive you home and on the way, you can explain to me what happened." Ren had no intention of letting her go home by herself after what just happened. He would see her home safely. "Hey kid, I'll give you a ride to. Hop in," he said pointing to his car. Kyoko made her way over without protest. _Glad she knows she isn't getting out of this without giving me the full story._

"I'm not a kid. My name is Max," the kid said suddenly in front of him. Ren was taken aback by the challenge in his face. "I let you take the lead on being her boyfriend because I'm obviously too young. But I could have scared him off like that too."

"O-okay, Max," he responded. Ren smiled as he followed the two to the car. _Max, huh? Not sure why he just challenged me but he has spirit._

Kyoko got in the back seat with Max. _Why does she keep making me feel like a chauffeur? _He thought as he got in the car. "The front seat is free," he informed her.

"I know, but I'd rather sit with Max," she told him.

"Suit yourself," Ren said shrugging. It was quick so he almost didn't see it. Almost. Max had a smug look on his face when Kyoko declined the front seat.

Ren chuckled and started the car. It seemed Kyoko had an admirer.

After getting Max's address to drop him off first, Ren started driving. "So are you going to give me the full story?" Ren asked looking at Kyoko in the rearview mirror.

"Um, yeah," she said hesitantly before telling him everything that happened since the day before.

"Why didn't you call the police as soon as he showed up the second time?" Ren asked her.

"I didn't want to be a bother in case nothing was going on," she told him avoiding his gaze in the rearview mirror.

"You're forgetting I'm a homicide detective. I'd rather rush to a false alarm than investigate your murder," he said catching her eye in the mirror. "Don't be so afraid to ask for help when you need it." Kyoko only nodded in response. "Max, you were pretty brave to stand up for her, but you could have been hurt too." It wasn't just Kyoko he was going to lecture.

Max jumped at having the conversation turn suddenly to him. "I've dealt with guys like that before. I knew what I was doing," he said trying to brush off Ren's concern.

"That doesn't matter. You're what 14? 15? Your body is still developing and is no match for an adult. Especially since you're a little small for your age. I applaud your willingness to stick up for others but you have to think of your own safety too," Ren said hoping he was getting his point across. He didn't really know the kid. He might not be receptive to being lectured by Ren.

"And what would you have done in my shoes? Let the guy continue to harass her?" Max shot back aggravated by the lecture.

Ren thought back to when he was a teen. _I probably would have bloodied the guy…_ He sighed at not having a good answer for him. "I get your point. Just promise you'll consider your own safety next time you stand up for someone," Ren said knowing there would be a next time. He'd seen the kid cover for Kyoko twice this week. Clearly, he acted before thinking whenever someone was in trouble.

"Fine," he heard Max grumble. Ren held back a smile. _I really like this kid._

"Alright, I believe this is your place," Ren said pulling up beside an apartment building.

"Oh, thanks," Max said getting out of the car.

"Wait!" Kyoko yelled before he fully got out leaving the door open. "I want your number. I lost the paper you gave me at the fair. I don't want to worry about you again and not have a way to contact you," she told him.

"S-sure," Max said turning slightly pink.

Ren watched as they exchanged numbers. Kyoko was about to say her final goodbye to the boy when she stopped stone cold staring at something behind Max. "Ren, is that what I think it is," he heard her say softly. He couldn't see behind Max well from his angle so he got out of the car to see if he could find what she was looking at. His teeth clenched when he saw it.

"Max, do you know anything about that building?" Ren asked him pointing to one across the street.

Max looked behind him to see which building he meant. "Oh, that one. I don't know what goes on there. Just that there's a creepy looking guy who comes in and out sometimes."

"Creepy how?" Kyoko questioned him.

"Ah, well, he just looks strange," Max said embarrassed. "I've never seen anyone with white hair who wasn't old and sometimes I swear his eyes are white as well. I don't get close to get a good look so I'm sure I'm wrong about that," he told them.

"Kyoko," Ren said without taking his eyes off the building. "Why don't you go inside with Max and lock the door while I check it out."

"What? I want to check it out too!" She demanded.

Ren turned his gaze from the building to look in the car at Kyoko. "If you go with me, Max will likely follow. You don't want him getting involved with this, do you?" Ren said trying to convince her. He didn't want either of them being near while he investigated. If HE was around, it was far too dangerous.

Kyoko stared at him for a moment before replying. "Fine. Max, why don't you show me where you live? If your mom's home I'd like to meet her," Kyoko told him turning away from Ren.

"What's going on?" Max asked looking from one adult to the other.

"It's not a big deal," Kyoko told him. "We just see a potential link to a case Ren is working on. Since he's a detective, he's obligated to check it out. I'm sure it's nothing." Ren was glad to see that she was trying to tone down the situation for Max. They didn't need him getting curious and looking into it himself when they weren't around. Especially since he was around the age of some of the kidnapped kids from a few months ago.

"She probably is home, she works nights," Max told her as he led the way inside the building. Ren watched them go through the door before turning his attention to across the street. He walked paying attention to the smells that were in the air. He didn't smell anything familiar until he got near the door that held the mark of a white flower that only Ren and Kyoko could see.

* * *

Phew, that was a long chapter. About twice the size of a normal one. I hope you all enjoyed it. It's the last one for a few weeks. Saturday, my husband is finally coming home. He's been gone since April for work. Then we move next week. It's a lot going on. I don't expect to be able to post a new chapter until February.

I know everyone is eager for Ren to find out about the pregnancy. I have extremely big plans for that event. It'll come at the end of this first act which ends when Kyoko's first trimester ends.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

-Besma0003


	19. No Denying

_Ren walked into the pawnshop to get the paper records from the shop owner. Hopefully, something in them would help him identify others who bought the daggers._

"_Detective," the older man called to him as he walked into the front door causing the bell to ding. "I have gathered the receipts you asked for. Let me go in the back and get them." He disappeared behind a curtain separating the back from the customer area. Ren waited patiently browsing the cases in front of him to pass time._

_He was looking at several silly pins. There was a whole collection of them. One, in particular, caught his eye. It reminded him of a certain someone._

"_Here is everything you asked for," the shop keeper said coming back through the curtain holding a box. Ren looked away from the case to the man carrying over the box. He placed it in front of Ren for him to briefly look over the contents._

_Ren fumbled through the paperwork to see if anything caught his eye immediately. "I didn't think to ask before, but do you remember who brought the set of daggers in?" He asked as he looked over one receipt._

"_Now that is a fella I'll never forget. Strange looking he was," the shop keeper told Ren._

_Ren stopped checking over the paperwork to look up at the store owner. "What do you mean strange looking?" He asked tentatively._

"_I've never seen a fellow like him. His hair was completely white. That's strange, but you do see it from time to time if you meet enough people. What was unique about him was his eyes were also white. I was glad when he left," he told Ren shivering slightly at the memory of the man he found creepy._

"_That's descriptive. Thank you for the information," Ren said keeping himself as calm as he could. "I should get this box back to the station to check over everything properly," he grabbed the box as he spoke._

"_Sure thing, detective. If there's anything else you need, be sure to let me know," the owner said to him. As Ren was about to walk away, the pin in the case in front of him caught his eye again._

"_Actually, how much are you selling these silly pins for?"_

* * *

Ren walked towards the building remembering the description given by the pawnshop owner and the kidnapped kids. All of them spoke of a man with white hair and white eyes. Max reported a similar looking man coming in and out of the building ahead of him that held the symbol of the flower.

If Max wasn't mistaken, this would be the first location found before a crime happened linked to HIM. Ren didn't think Max was mistaken especially once he got close enough to pick up the scent he was looking for. _He's been here._

Ren checked behind him to the other side of the street. He saw Kyoko following Max into a building. _Good, they don't need to be in harm's way. _He pulled out the pistol strapped to his side keeping it pointed down and tested the doorknob. It wasn't locked. _Strange, why wouldn't he lock it? Wouldn't he want to keep people out? _Ren entered the building cautiously.

He walked into a stairwell. The stairs went up several flights without any doors to exit from. Finally at the top, Ren found a door. It had a small window that allowed him to look through. What he could see on the other side of the door wasn't much. An area that looked like it could be a bed, food wrappings, and clothes thrown around.

The contents of the room weren't suspicious, but the smell was overwhelming. There was no mistaking who used this room. Until he walked into this building, Ren was hoping he was mistaken. That HE wouldn't be in town. But he couldn't deny who this smell belonged to. His worst nightmare had come back to haunt him.

Ren took a steady breath before kicking down the door. He scanned the room in seconds. There wasn't much to it. Other than a small bathroom to the left, there was nothing more than he'd seen from the window. Ren walked around the room looking for anything that stood out. As he neared the back of the small room, a new smell assaulted his nostrils.

He wondered briefly how he'd missed this smell before. Then he realized he'd been so overwhelmed by smelling HIM other scents were blocked out. But he couldn't ignore the smell with its source strewn out before him. Bloodied clothes littered the back corner. They were stacked away from the other clothes. Presumably to maintain some level of cleanliness. Ren would have to wait for the forensic team to go through the pile to find out who's blood was on them and just how many articles of clothing there were. He guessed the blood came from around 6 different people based on the different smells he was picking up. But the scents were so mingled it was hard for him to tell. It could only be from two people for all he knew.

Ren pulled out his phone to call in the crime scene.

* * *

Kyoko followed Max into his home. He lived on the first floor in an apartment building. It definitely was not a high class building, but it looked livable. It didn't smell and was reasonably well kept.

Max opened his door calling out for his mom, "Mom, Mom, we have a visitor," he said to the air. Kyoko walked in behind him into a kitchen area. A small round table was in the center of the room with the kitchen to the left. The living room was just beyond that. Kyoko could see an opening to a hallway on the right but nothing beyond that.

"Max? Did you bring a friend home from school?" A woman from down the hall called excitedly. Kyoko had to school her face to prevent from being rude. She was not prepared for the sight of the woman who stepped from the hallway.

She was blonde, rocking the bed head look, wearing a leopard print, tight, short dress. Her look included fishnets and heavy makeup.

"Mom, did you forget to wash your makeup off before going to bed again?" Max asked her when he saw her. He was unphased by her getup otherwise.

"I suppose I did," she said touching her face. "I should go do that and then meet your friend." Max's mom turned towards Kyoko before heading back down the hall and stopped. "Who are you? You are definitely not a high school student," she said surprised.

Kyoko realized she probably seemed like some type of predator to the mother in front of her. She didn't know the story of what happened. All she saw was that an adult followed her precious 14 year old son home.

"My name is Kyoko Mogami. I'm a reporter from LoveMe. I've been shadowing at Star Point Church this past week. Max has helped me out a lot. It's so nice to meet you," Kyoko blurted out trying to explain her relationship to the young man in the room.

"Mom, this is the woman I've been telling you about. The one who was exposed during the school festival and then had the stalker yesterday," Max said calling from behind her.

Kyoko noticed he was rummaging through a woman's purse before pulling out what he was looking for. "Here Mom, your makeup remover. Go wash up and then come join us."

"Sure, honey," his mom said grabbing the makeup remover from him. Before she headed back down the hall she looked over at Kyoko. Her face wasn't full of distrust as it was before, but still not trusting.

Kyoko stared after her for a moment before focusing back on Max. She remembered him putting water in her purse without the usual male discomfort towards a woman's purse. _So that's why he's so comfortable around women's things. He's close to his mom. But what was that getup?! _As Kyoko walked over to join Max in the living room, she remembered something that West said.

"_You can just whore out your mother to get the cash. That's all she's good for anyways."_

Kyoko startled at the memory of his harsh words and looked over at Max. He saw the question in her eyes.

"Yes, my mom's a prostitute," he told her calmly. He walked into the kitchen to fill a pitcher with water and get cups for everyone.

_He's rather nonchalant about that. _Kyoko couldn't help but feel shocked. She'd never met a prostitute before.

Max's mom came back into the living room with her makeup removed. She also put a bandana in her hair to hold it back from her face. She sat down on the couch and motioned for Kyoko to join her. Kyoko sat down next to her trying not to let her face give her shock away.

"Max tells me you had a stalker. Aren't they frightful?" She asked Kyoko. "I've had a few. They've always gotten scared off after Max shows himself and speaks up. Men like that don't like having teenagers around, especially ones who speak their minds," she told the younger woman.

"Yes, it was frightful. He came back today even after Max got in his face yesterday," Kyoko remembered her fright from the morning of worrying about whether or not Max was okay. _My God! I have to apologize for putting Max in harm's way!_ Kyoko quickly got off the couch and did a dogeza to Max's mom. "I'm so sorry for putting him in danger like that! He could have gotten hurt. I'm an incompetent adult who couldn't keep him out of my problems." Kyoko yelled out with her head to the floor.

"Oh dear, by that definition I'm a horrible parent," Max's mom told her. _That's not what I meant to imply. _Kyoko thought to herself. "You can't stop him from jumping in. He's going to do what he wants," she told Kyoko. "So get back up on the couch, dear."

"Yes,…" Kyoko said hesitating as she stood back up. She didn't know her name.

"Oh, how rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Pearl," she said pulling Kyoko back down to the seat next to her.

Max joined them in the living room carrying a tray with a pitcher and cups. He set it down on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Max, why did you grab 4 cups? There's only 3 of us," Pearl asked him.

"There's actually one more, Mom. A detective drove us home," he told her finding himself a seat on the floor next to them.

"A detective?! Max, what happened?" She asked with worry.

Max and Kyoko launched into the story of the stalker and how Ren showed up to scare him off for good. Kyoko mentioned that he was across the street following up on a lead for a case he was working on. Once he was done, he would come to get Kyoko to drive her home.

As they finished their explanation, Kyoko's phone went off. "Speaking of Ren," she said out loud as she checked her phone. "Oh," she responded quietly as she read his text.

"What is it?" Max asked her.

"He found a crime scene," Kyoko told them. "I should go join him. It's my job to report on these kinds of things," she said as she stood up making sure she had all of her things. "It was nice to meet you, Pearl. Max, I'll talk to you later," Kyoko gave her goodbyes trying to rush out the door.

"Wait, when will I get to see you again? Aren't you done working at the church after today?" Max asked her.

Kyoko turned back to him before reaching the door. "I'm not sure. But you have my number. You can call me anytime," she told him smiling before grabbing the door and heading out. Kyoko left Max and his mom behind as she walked out of the building and made her way across the street. She found Ren waiting outside the door next to the flower symbol.

"You should stay with Max and his mom," Ren told her.

"No way," Kyoko responded. "I was your shadow last week remember? It's part of my job to get the perspective of what you do," she said defiantly.

"Kyoko, this isn't like last week's case. It's a whole new ball game," Ren said to her with his arms crossed leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked him.

"What's inside this building is likely related to the string of murders my supervisor mentioned last week. The one about the attack dogs," Ren said jogging her memory about the mention of a serial killer in the city.

* * *

Maddog watched from the alleyway as Kuon spoke to the woman in front of him. He arrived home while Kuon was still in the building, but he'd caught his scent from the car and stayed downwind in the shadows to hide his presence. Finally, Kuon found the clues and knew he was in the city.

He watched as the petite woman walked across the street over to Kuon. He smiled gleefully when the wind blew. He knew the scent coming off her. It was very familiar to him. She was pregnant with a child from their clan. The father could only be Kuon. He was the last one.

Revenge was going to be very sweet.

* * *

I'm back! Sorry I was gone longer than I said. It's been very busy for us. We ended up moving twice. Inconvenient but good since this second place is way bigger and we're more comfortable than we would have been in the first place. My husband landed his dream job and started school full time. My toddler broke her leg. Don't worry, it's already almost fully healed. We also had to put a kitty down (not Jack). It's been a whirlwind.

While I didn't post a new chapter in February, I was working on the story. I went through all the old chapters fixing grammar problems. I found a small inconsistency between a couple of chapters that needed addressing. I also changed Rori Takarada's job title. He's chief of police, not captain. I couldn't think of the right term to use for him when I first wrote the story. As I was rereading, I realized Chief of Police is a title better suited to his role.

I'm modeling Max's relationship with his mom off of the one in Toradora between the male lead and his mom.

I'm not sure if I'll stick to Friday's as my update day. I'm updating on a Tuesday because it's been so long. Next week's chapter might be on Friday and it might not.

If you ever want to know the status of the next chapter, feel free to drop in discord. I was updating my progress in there over the last month for the few who've joined the chat. Link can be found in my profile.

Thanks to everyone who was commenting during my hiatus. I appreciated knowing you all were still eager for the next chapter despite the break.

-Besma0003

PS: I'm dropping a pic of Max's Mom's outfit in Discord for anyone who would like a visual. I suck at describing clothes.


	20. 3rd Week

Week 10

Kyoko arrived home exhausted that night. It was the longest day in recent memory. She collapsed on her bed next to Jack as she recalled the events of the day.

It started off with the stalker and worrying about Max. Then it ended with a scene from a serial killer. Ren refused to let her upstairs to see the room with the bloodied clothes until after forensics came and removed them. Yukihito arrived quickly along with several others to control the crime scene. It was much more chaotic than the last time Kyoko was with Ren to investigate a crime.

The added chaos was due to the room apparently being the home base to a serial killer in the city. It was the first time a link was found to the killer that did not contain a body. It was an important break in a case with no leads.

Ushio Kurasaki, Ren's immediate supervisor, said last week that the killer used attack dogs to tear his victims to shreds. Kyoko couldn't fathom why he would want to keep the shredded clothes of his victims. It would take time to pick up the shreds after the dogs were done. There was always the possibility that the bloodied clothes belonged to the perp but that didn't make sense. If he used dogs to do his dirty work, then there was no need for him to be close enough for his clothes to be soiled. Perhaps a few drops would make sense. But it was more than that. It was bad enough that Ren refused to let her see them.

Speaking of the dogs, there were no signs of dogs in the room. No food or water out for them. No signs of dog hair. The animals were being kept in a separate location than their owner for some reason.

Kyoko sighed in frustration. She wasn't going to get anywhere running over the scene in her head. She sat up to get ready for bed when she was hit by a major hunger pain and a wave of nausea. She took a few seconds to wait it out and get her bearings.

"I guess I need to eat before bed. Huh, Jack?" She said looking at her orange kitty curled up next to her.

Once she was confident she was steady on her feet, she got up and went to the kitchen to check for food. Thanks to the surprise crime scene, she never ate dinner. Her entire mind was focused on what was going on in front of her and the implications of what she was seeing. She forgot all about taking care of herself.

Blessedly, there was some leftover grilled chicken and veggies. She wouldn't have to cook anything. Kyoko threw the plate in the microwave for a minute.

As she stood there waiting for her food to warm up, Kyoko realized she probably would have had dinner with Ren on the way home if they hadn't found the home base of the serial killer. She didn't have the chance to tell him what she wrote for her article, and she wanted to say thank you for coming to her aid.

Kyoko blushed remembering how he saved her.

_"That's right," Ren said putting his arm around her. "My dear texted me earlier saying she needed a ride home from her volunteer work. So of course, I came. I can't say no to her," Ren swept down and kissed her on top of the head to accentuate his words. _

The microwave beeped just as the image of Ren kissing her played in her mind. She jumped at the sound feeling like a schoolgirl caught in the act of doing something she shouldn't.

He surprised her with his actions. Not only did he come to her aid as soon as she asked, but he also pretended to be her boyfriend putting his arm around her and kissing her. It was just a peck on top of the head, but it was still a kiss.

His arm around her felt comforting, and he was really warm. If Kyoko wasn't careful, she could drop her guard around him and leave herself open to that disgusting feeling. That wasn't an option. Kyoko pushed thoughts of Ren's warm arm and protective kiss from her mind as she ate her dinner.

* * *

Week 11

Over the weekend, Kanae, Rika, and Kyoko got together to see a movie and hang out. Since Rika was unable to visit earlier in the week, she had not yet seen the ultrasound pictures.

"_Oh! I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking at, but this is exciting! A picture of the baby in your tummy!" She squealed smiling at Kyoko while gushing over the picture._

Kyoko giggled at the memory as she walked into City Hall Monday morning. She was excited for her new shadow assignment to start. Rika and Kanae warned her over the weekend about Eiji Sato. He was a thorn in the side for both of them while they worked with Hiou and his grandfather, the mayor.

Eiji worked in the PR department as the social media specialist. He posted online constantly about events the mayor's office was planning and anything he found interesting. Thanks to his efforts, City Hall had a major social following. He did good work. The problem was that he was insufferable to be around.

He thought of himself as God's greatest gift to women and couldn't fathom that one wouldn't be interested in him. Kanae said it took all of her self control not to knock out one of his perfect teeth. Rika said she avoided his presence whenever possible.

Despite an unpleasant coworker, both of Kyoko's friends enjoyed working in the mayor's office. Mayor Kotetsu Uesugi was strict but amazing to watch work. Kyoko was excited to see this amazingness for herself.

But first, she had to find a bathroom. Kyoko suddenly felt like she might throw up. Since the day she threw up at the sight of a dead body on her first case with Ren, she hadn't been sick during the day. And that time wasn't because of pregnancy. The last time pregnancy caused her to have a rough day was when she threw up on Ren. _Please don't let today be like that day, _she thought to herself as she ran into a bathroom.

After throwing up, Kyoko pulled her toothbrush out of her purse. Since she found out she was pregnant, she made sure to carry a toothbrush and paste with her just in case morning sickness got to her. The last thing she wanted was to have a nasty mouth all day, especially when she was in a professional environment.

Kyoko walked out of the bathroom when she was finished to look around the building. The entryway led into a big room with a staircase against the back wall leading up to the second floor. The staircase had metal railings with plexiglass sides to keep the space feeling open while also providing safety to those using the stairs. Even the second floor didn't have walls in the entryway. The same railing was all around the part of the second floor Kyoko could see making the room feel huge. It was a sleek and modern design.

While Kyoko was gaping at the space, someone approached her. She thought the individual was a woman at first with the shoulder length hair and necklace, but he was a man. His hair was light dirty blond with brown eyes.

"Good morning! Are you the new shadow for this week?" He asked her excitedly.

"Y-yes," Kyoko stumbled in reply thankful she wasn't starting her first conversation for the week with vomit breath. _Thank you, toothbrush!_

"Let me show you to where you'll be working," he said as he turned expecting her to follow.

Kyoko followed him upstairs and listened to him as he chatted away describing each of the offices they walked by. Most of the services provided by the city had offices in the building. She knew it was the administrative hub for the city but seeing all the offices made it real rather than figurative.

"Over here are the city council members' desks," her guide informed her. "In the back, is where you'll be working with Hiou and Mayor Uesugi. My office," he told her pointing to the left corner, "is right over there. Feel free to ask for my help anytime," he said with a slight bow and flourishing his arm to his chest.

"Um, thanks," Kyoko responded. "I didn't catch your name. What is it?"

"I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Eiji."

* * *

Sorry, it's short this week. Eiji is the guy Kanae and Hiou worked on that job together with. I never knew he didn't have an official name. So I made one up for him.

Starting this chapter, I'm labeling Kyoko's pregnancy week. It makes it easier for me and you all to keep track of how far along she is. I meant to do it last week but forgot.

I'm going to try to get through week 11 quickly. The characters and setting still need to be fully fleshed out, but it shouldn't take as many chapters as the last two weeks. Week 12 is the climax of Kyoko's first trimester. A LOT of stuff is going to go down and I'm excited to finally write it. I've been waiting to get there since the story started.

Thanks so much for all your comments!

-Besma0003


	21. Setting up the Ball

Week 11

Since finding the scene of the bloodied clothes, Ren's life was in chaos. He couldn't tell anyone other than the Chief of Police, Rori, how he knew the apartment belonged to the serial killer. The only information he could provide to point in that direction was Max's description. The problem was no one had a description of the killer. Everyone linked Max's description to the man who kidnapped the kids Officer Fuwa found. The white hair and white eyes were the same. No one could figure out how the clothes came to be shredded. They looked like they were physically ripped apart. Not sliced up by claws.

Once the blood analysis on the clothes came back, his problem was solved. There was an outfit for each victim of the serial killer. During the act, he was sprayed with their blood.

Once that was confirmed, detectives started fighting over the case. Now that there was at least one lead, everyone wanted in on it. While Ren found the lead, it wasn't in his precinct. He couldn't officially take the case. But detectives from the precincts that had a murder victim were all vying for a crack at it.

Before, they were all pushing the case around because they couldn't find any connections. There was no way to predict the next attack or track him down. But finding his home provided clues to his personality and hope of finding him.

Rori wanted to give him the case but couldn't without arousing suspicion. The best Ren could hope for was to have a case in his precinct so he could join the fray of people jockeying to come out on top. Unfortunately, only Ren could solve this case. He already knew who the killer was, but he couldn't give a reasonable explanation as to how he knew.

Saying the killer was a member of his clan would raise questions he did not want to answer. All he could do was wait and continue to work on his other cases.

* * *

"Leave the new person alone and get back to work, Eiji," a young man coming up on Kyoko's right said to him. Kyoko recognized him as the one who met Kanae at the office for her first shadow assignment. _What was his name again? _At the time, she was too preoccupied with the appearance with Ren to pay too much attention to anyone else.

"Yes, sir," Eiji responded and headed over to his desk.

"I'm Hiou Uesugi," the young man said to her extending a hand.

"Um, hi, I'm Kyoko Mogami," Kyoko said shaking his hand.

"Looks like Eiji already gave you the tour. All that's left is to tell you what you'll be doing this week." Hiou picked a flyer off of the desk and handed it to her. It was an ad for a ball coming up. "Our priority is to finish setting up for this event next week. A lot of work has already been done. Now we need to call around confirming who will be in attendance and that caterers and other services are all prepared and don't have last minute questions. At the end of the week, we'll start decorating the ballroom," Hiou told her. "That desk over there," he said pointing over to their left, "is for you. It has a list of people to call and confirm with. It's a long list, you'd better get started," he told her before heading to his own desk.

Kyoko looked back at the flyer as she walked to the desk Hiou pointed out for her. The ball was for important people in the city. As Kyoko sat down, her imagination took off imagining all the women dressed up in extravagant dresses looking like princesses. Of course, they would all be escorted by handsome men dressed in suits and ties. Kyoko quietly squealed to herself in excitement. She couldn't wait to start working on this.

She looked at the list in front of her of the people she needed to call. It was several pages worth. _Well, no time like the present to start crossing off names._

* * *

By midmorning, she made it through a page. The numbers were broken up into sections. Each section represented a different workgroup of the city. The people she already called were government officials. She also had rich people who weren't directly involved in government but played a key financial role in the city.

Kyoko noticed her next page was for the police department. She got started and called the Chief of Police. She noticed his name was Rori Takarada. _I wonder if there's any relation?'_

Mr. Takarada confirmed he would be in attendance with no guests. Next came the captains of the different precincts. Last in the section were special interest people who weren't high up on the chain of command, but were well known and expected to show their face.

Ren's name was at the top of the list. Kyoko stared at his name realizing for the first time just how important he was to people feeling safe in the city. His impeccable record meant a lot and gave him influence.

_Oh, right. I need to call him. Should I use my phone or the office phone I've been using? It'd be weird to call him on a line he's not familiar with and have it be my voice. I'll just call him with my phone. _

She took out her phone and dialed his number.

* * *

Ren was with Rika and Yukihito. Yukihito had some new information to pass on to him from the labs. He already discovered this morning that Rika brought a very different perspective than the other two shadows. Rika was from a rich background and had insight into how the people involved in his case thought. He was planning on taking her to talk to a few people to get her input on their words and actions. She might be able to pick up on something he couldn't.

"Ren, this strand of hair belongs to a woman and is dyed. Whoever she is, she is not a natural blonde," Yukihito informed him. He was still going through some of the evidence collected at the crime scene. This strand of hair off of the victim's clothes was the latest find.

"I know a blonde we can talk to," Ren said looking at the hair. "Come on, Rika. It's time you participated in your first interview," he told her heading out the door. "Thanks, Yukihito," he called back before heading out.

"Anytime, Ren," Yukihito responded right before Ren's phone started going off.

Ren's eyes creased with concern as he checked the caller ID before answering. In the background, Yukihito's eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Kyoko, is everything alright?" He asked as soon as the line connected.

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't it be? Oh right, sorry. Last time you heard from me it was a mess, huh? Sorry about that." He heard her say over the phone.

"Don't worry about it. I was happy to help. What do you need?" He asked her.

"Oh, I'm working at city hall this week. Your name is on the list for attendees to the ball next week. I'm calling for your RSVP," she told him.

"I'll be there," he responded.

"Are you bringing anyone with you?" She asked him.

"Yukihito," he said as an image flashed in his mind of her drenched in her sea green, party dressed from the night they first met. "Will you be in attendance?" He asked wondering how she would look dry in a nice dress.

"I wish. It'll be a great night no doubt. I hope you have fun there. I have more people to call. So I'll catch up with you later," she said finishing up the conversation.

"Have a good day," Ren told her before hanging up. He let out a sigh of disappointment as he put his phone in his pocket. _The party would have at least been interesting with her there._

Rika's eyes were locked on Ren as soon as she heard Kyoko's name. She studied his back as she followed him out of Yukihito's lab.

For his part, Yukihito had a twinkle in his eye as he watched Ren leave.

* * *

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief after hanging up with Ren. She was a little nervous to call him after their last encounter. She couldn't stop thinking about him kissing her on the head. But she got through the call successfully.

Now it was time to get through the next very unpleasant call. Another VIP from the police department was Sho Fuwa. No doubt for his efforts in finding the kidnapped kids which were actually her efforts.

_I'm definitely not using my phone to call him. No way am I giving him access to my number. _She was dreading making the call. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to him. But she had no choice. She needed an accurate count as possible of who would be in attendance. _...wait...if I use the office number, he won't know it's me calling. And if I change my voice, he won't recognize me!_

Kyoko quickly dialed Sho's number prepared to disguise her voice.

"Officer Fuwa," she heard him say as he picked up. A few of Kyoko's grudge demon's popped out at the sound of his voice.

"Officer Fuwa," she said pitching her voice high so he wouldn't recognize her. "I'm from city hall and am calling for your RSVP to the ball next week."

"I'll be there," he told her.

"Great," Kyoko said continuing to keep her voice pitched. "Will you be bringing anyone with you?"

"No, just me. If you want, you can find me at the ball and we can hang out," he said trying to flirt with her.

Kyoko held in vomit at his words. "Thanks, I'll put you down as in attendance," she said hanging up.

_Bleh!_ The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with Sho.

To distract herself from his nastiness Kyoko got back to her list and kept calling people. The only other name she recognized was her boss, Lori. He said he was bringing three people with him.

* * *

On Tuesday, Kyoko arrived ready to re-call those she couldn't reach before. About a quarter of the list still needed to be reached. She sat at her desk and was about to pick up the phone when she was interrupted.

"Good morning, Ms. Mogami," Eiji said approaching her.

"Oh, good morning," Kyoko responded. She hadn't spoken to him since Hiou shooed him away the previous morning. So far, she didn't find him as bad as Rika and Kanae said he was.

"How are you this fine morning?" He asked as he pulled up a seat next to her and sat down.

"I'm fine. Is there something you need?" She asked him.

"Nothing much. I was just curious about something, and I was hoping you could help me out," he told her.

"Alright then, what would you like to know," Kyoko said.

"Kanae, did she mention me to you at all?" He asked.

"Um, yes, she said you were a part of the office, and I would be seeing a lot of you most likely," Kyoko responded as neutral as possible.

"Yes, I knew it!" He said while fist pumping. "She can't stop thinking about me."

"It's not like that," Kyoko said quickly trying to stop a misunderstanding. "She doesn't have any feelings for you. She was just giving me a rundown of who I'd be working with."

"Of course, she has feelings for me. Who wouldn't? Rika did too, but she's not really my type. I can tell you'll fall for me as well, but my heart is set on Kanae. You might as well give up now," he told Kyoko confidently with a wave of the hand.

"...Right," Kyoko responded. "Why do you think we all have a thing for you?"

"Women only give a cold shoulder to men they like. And Kanae was the iciest I've ever seen a woman. I loved it!" Eiji said enthusiastically.

"Okay," she responded realizing she wasn't going to be able to convince him of anything. "I need to get to work if you don't mind."

"Of course! Get to it. And don't worry, even a plain woman like you will find a man to love you someday," he said as he walked away.

_I wanna kill him. _Kyoko seethed as she watched him walk away. He was just as bad as her two friends said he was.

"Is he at it again?" Hiou asked coming up from behind her.

"Thinking all women are in love with him? Yes," Kyoko responded turning to him.

Hiou sighed in response. "I can't stand working with him but he's great at getting engagement on social media. I don't think anyone else could do a better job. So we put up with him. But if he gets to be too much, let me know," he told her.

"It's fine for now," Kyoko said. "Kanae and Rika warned me about him before I came." At the mention of Kanae's name, Kyoko saw a softness come to Hiou's eyes.

"How is she? Kanae, I mean. She did a really good job while she was here. It's a shame she's a reporter. She would do well in government," Hiou said looking everywhere but at Kyoko. _Hmm_

"She's doing well. She worked with a detective last week and is working at a church this week," she told him keeping her eyes locked on him.

"Oh? A detective, a male detective?" he asked her a bit shyly.

Kyoko smiled as she replied, "yes. I've worked with him as well. He's very professional. I think Kanae liked working here more than with him though," she told him truthfully.

"Really?" He perked up hearing that bit of news. "Well, we loved having her here too. Her photographic memory and work ethic are amazing. I hope I get to work with her again," he said before going over to his desk with a bit of a spring in his step.

_Well, well, well Kanae, you picked up more than one admirer here. _Kyoko couldn't help but let a small giggle escape before returning to her work.

* * *

Wednesday morning came with an unexpected surprise. As soon as she arrived, Hiou grabbed her arm and started half dragging her back out of the building saying, "We've got to get to the florist. I've got a car. Let's go!"

Once he let go, Kyoko followed him confused. "What's wrong with the florist?" She asked as she got in his car. She felt a ping of jealousy getting in the car of someone younger than her. She didn't even have a driver's license and he had his own car. _Just how old is he anyway? _If she met him randomly on the street, she would have thought him still in high school.

"She called just before you arrived saying there was an electrical problem in the building causing power to flicker. She needs the power to maintain the plants for the ball. They'll wilt without the proper care," Hiou explained as he drove off. He was a different kind of driver than Ren, a little sharper on the corners and more impatient. Kyoko was jerked at a couple of turns.

"Can we order from another florist?" Kyoko asked him.

Hiou gave her a brief look that said, "are you stupid?" before looking back to the road. "We put the order in for the ball months ago. The amount of flowers we need far exceeds what shop keepers typically keep in stock. Not to mention a lot of the arrangements are specially ordered with uncommon flowers. So no, we can't just order from someone else." He informed her.

"Right," Kyoko said feeling stupid. That should have been obvious. "So what are we going to do?" She asked him.

"First, we're going to get there."

* * *

Upon arriving, they saw several grumpy people out front of the building. "When is this power going to be fixed?" One man yelled at another. The one who yelled looked like a baker judging by his getup. The one being yelled at was a short, plump man in a suit and tie. He looked overwhelmed with his hands up saying he didn't know.

Hiou approached the group as soon as they got out of the car. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"Hiou!" A woman called from the other side of the group. "We're trying to get answers from our landlord about the power issue," she informed him. Kyoko guessed she was the florist since she knew Hiou by name.

He looked to the landlord for an answer. "Well? Why is the power out?"

"Why should I answer you?" The man said flabbergasted at this young boy who appeared out of nowhere acting like he owned the place.

"I'm Mayor Uesugi's assistant. It's my job to make sure citizens of this city have the ability to pursue their work and earn fair wages. Power outages get in the way of that," Hiou told him appearing to grow a few inches in his maturity. The man took a step back in surprise at his words. "So let me ask again, what's going on here?"

"I-I don't know. Lights started flickering this morning and some appliances aren't getting enough power to stay on," the man responded. "I've called my electrician but he can't get here until later."

"How much later?" Hiou pressed him.

"...tomorrow," the landlord replied.

Hiou turned to the rest of the crowd asking, "Do you all rent space in this building?" Everyone nodded in response. "This building is zoned for business. So you are all running some type of business here?" More nods in response. "Is the electrical problem lasting until tomorrow going to affect your bottom line?" He asked them all. Instead of nods for a reply, Hiou received several grunts and verbal affirmations.

He turned back to the landlord. "Tomorrow is too late. These fine people won't be able to work today and will lose important merchandise. If you don't find someone to come today to fix the problem, you'll be obligated to pay each and every one of them the loss they suffered due to this issue."

The landlord's mouth dropped in surprise. "But that's a fortune!" He protested.

"Then you better start calling electricians around town to find one who is available today. Or see if your regular guy can get here sooner," Hiou told him.

The man stepped back in fear, then turned around and pulled out his phone quickly making a call. Hiou let him be and turned back to the crowd. "I'll be monitoring this situation to make sure you all are back in business today. If you are not, you will be compensated," he informed them all.

Several members of the crowd looked satisfied with that answer and dissipated. One woman stayed behind. The same one who spoke up earlier.

"Hiou, that's not enough for the ice sculptures," she said as she got close enough to him. "They'll melt if the freezers don't turn back on soon."

"Ice sculptures?" Kyoko asked surprised. She thought the woman was the florist.

"Some of the flower arrangements include small ice sculptures," Hiou said without looking at her. "Is it just the ice we need to worry about?" He asked the florist.

"Yes, everything else will be fine," she told him.

"What if we hook them up to a generator?" He asked her.

"That would work. But I don't have one," she responded.

"I know where we can get one," he told her. "Just sit tight and take care of your store as best you can until we get back. Kyoko, let's go." He said heading back for the car.

* * *

They drove to a storage unit and opened up one of the biggest units in the place. "Who does this belong to?" Kyoko asked as Hiou opened the door.

"It's my grandfather's. He has a lot of stuff. There's a generator in here that we can bring back," he said looking over his shoulder at her.

"Aren't generators big? We won't be able to fit one in your car." She told him.

"All we have to do is pull it out and push it to the office. It's on its own wheels. Once we bring it to the front desk, the storage company will deliver it for us," he told her pointing out the generator.

"That's convenient," Kyoko responded as she moved towards the generator behind Hiou.

Together they pushed it to the front, and Hiou made arrangements for it to be delivered to the florist.

They got back in the car to head back to make sure it was delivered and that there were no hiccups in connecting the freezers.

"We're going to have to make a stop at a gas station to pick up a can of gas for it," Hiou told her as they left the storage unit.

"How much gas is in it?" She asked him.

"It's empty. Grandpa didn't want to store it full of gas. If it sat there for a while, the gas would get old and could goop up the generator. Plus, it's a safety hazard to store gas like that," he told her while concentrating on the road.

They drove for a few minutes in silence before Kyoko's curiosity got the best of her. "How long have you had a license?" She blurted out.

"Two years, why?" He responded.

Kyoko gasped in surprise. "Two years! You don't look old enough to legally have gotten your license two years ago!" She exclaimed.

Hiou grunted in exasperation. "Just because I look young, doesn't mean I am," he told her.

"So how old are you?" Kyoko asked curiously.

"18," he responded curtly.

Kyoko held back telling him 18 was young. Still, that meant he got his license when he was 16 which was the earliest he could get it.

"How did you get a job with your grandfather?" She asked leaving out the part that he was super young for his position.

"I've grown up volunteering in his projects around the city. People came to know my face. It was without question when I entered college that I would be his intern assistant. I'm on Summer break now. My first college semester starts in a couple of months," he said softening a bit.

"You like this work, don't you?" Kyoko asked him.

He looked at her briefly before responding. "Yeah, I love watching Grandpa work and helping people. It just gets frustrating that strangers don't take me seriously because of my baby face. The only one who didn't look down on me for being so young was Kanae," he said getting quieter as he spoke the last few words.

_Ah, so that's where the admiration started._

"Well, Kanae is sharp. She probably knew you were up for the job despite looking so young," she told him.

"So now after questioning my age, you think I'm up for the job?" He asked her sardonically.

"I was just curious. There's no way I could doubt that you're fit for the job after watching you handle that landlord. That was amazing," Kyoko said in her defense.

"I've dealt with his type a lot. It's easy now," Hiou told her as they continued driving.

It wasn't long before they reached a station where they picked up a can of gas for the generator. By the time they got to the florist, the generator was already there. The florist was hooking everything up when they arrived. Once the gas was in the machine, it started up. The freezers kicked on right away. All three exchanged high fives in their excitement over averting the crisis.

"Keep me posted on the power situation," he told the florist as they headed out.

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a flurry. Hiou ended up fining the landlord of the building. The electrician arrived by the end of the day and got the power sorted but discovered the building wasn't up to code. In addition to the fine, he would be receiving random visits for up to a year from inspectors to make sure the building was in working order.

Kyoko was completely consumed by setting up the ball. Even when she got home that night she was running over a list of items that needed to be done before the week ended. They were setting up the ballroom now. There were a few dozen people helping with set up. Before any decorations were put out, the hall was washed ceiling to floor. Not that it was especially dirty, it was just to make sure it looked as good as it possibly could.

The theme colors for the ball were navy blue and silver. Tablecloths in those colors were pinned to tables with confetti on top. Beautiful lights were placed all around the room along with garland. On the morning of the event, the balloons and flower arrangements would be brought in.

Kyoko found setting up for the ball to be a dazzling experience. It was amazing watching the hall transform into a place to entertain princesses and princes. Of course, she knew real princes and princesses wouldn't be there but everyone would be dressed up wearing extravagant outfits. She wished she could be there.

On Thursday, Kyoko was taking a short break eating her lunch when she got a text from her boss, Lori Takarada. He wanted to see her, Kanae, and Rika at noon in the office tomorrow. Their assignments were officially ending. It was time to regroup and learn what their next step was.

Kyoko had mixed feelings about her shadow assignments ending. She met a lot of new people and learned to see the city from different angles. Even this week, while she spent most of the time setting up for the ball, she did have the opportunity to sit in on a few meetings run by Mayor Uesugi. He demanded control of the room and handled questions from reporters with a no-nonsense attitude. Kyoko never met anyone before who had such presence. As she watched him respond to reporters, she tried to think about how she would get around his unyielding attitude. Truthfully, she wasn't yet able to think of a way to do so.

While her work for the past three weeks was exciting and full of new things, she was ready to move on at the same time. She wanted something she could be a part of. With working somewhere new each week, she didn't feel like she had her own place to fit in. Now she would have the opportunity to settle into a rhythm at work and belong.

* * *

Friday came quickly for all three women. They met up at LoveMe 15 minutes before Lori wanted to see them. They shared their experiences for the past week and tried to guess what was coming next.

"Do you think he'll let us pick which field we work in? I'd like to focus on those in poverty and how they're handling the crime epidemic," Rika said.

"That'd be cool," Kanae responded. "I'd like to look more into city government. Learn how each elected official is contributing, or not, and report on what we could be doing better," she added.

Kyoko looked at her two friends excited that they both found something they were passionate about. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I would like to look into more. Each week was so exciting. If I had to pick, I think I liked working with Ren the most. It's satisfying to hunt down clues and find criminals," she told them.

"It helps that he was the most handsome person we all worked with," Rika giggled. "I have to admit I wouldn't mind working with law enforcement more if it meant getting to spend more time with him, especially if he returned interest in me," Rika said gauging Kyoko's response. Kyoko only managed to gape and Kanae gave an icy stare. "Oh come on, you can't say he's not one of the most attractive people you've ever met."

"Just because he's attractive doesn't mean I have to want to be around him," Kanae told her.

"I will never again choose what to do with my life because I find someone attractive. It's foolhardy and leads to disaster," Kyoko said once she got her mouth working. Rika looked at her in confusion but was interrupted before she could ask for clarification.

"Ladies, how are you this fine Friday afternoon?" Lori said approaching them wearing a cowboy outfit. Since it'd been several weeks since she'd seen him, Kyoko forgot how ridiculous his outfits could be. He had strings dangling from the shirt for added flair and extra pointy boots. She didn't think it was practical cowboy wear. She mumbled a response of fine with the other two.

"I asked, how are you?" He said looking at them all insinuating that they weren't loud enough.

"Good," they all piped up. Lori was a stickler for proper greetings and speaking up.

"That's good to hear. Why don't you follow me to my office and we'll discuss what comes next," he said leading them down the hall.

It was only a few doors down, and they were there quickly. Once inside, they all took a seat.

"So, tell me what you all thought," he said to them.

Each one explained what she learned and how it impacted her. Lori sat nodding and listening. He didn't interrupt other than to ask for clarification or give the proper "uh-huh" or "I see".

When they finished informing him of what they learned, he stared at them a few moments before speaking. "Do you remember what the last part of this assignment was?" He asked.

Kyoko thought for a few moments. She couldn't remember another piece to the shadowing.

"The article!" Rika shouted. "I can't believe I forgot." She said looking at her two friends realizing they forgot too. As soon as she said it, Kyoko remembered herself.

"That's right," Lori said to her. "You each need to write a piece about what you learned. Something that will add knowledge to citizens who didn't get your experience. What did you learn that they could benefit the most from?" He said letting them think it over briefly before continuing. "I want rough drafts by Monday. The one I like the most will get to make a final version to be published in the paper."

All three shined with excitement as they tried to think of what they should write.

"I do have one more thing I'd like to discuss with you," he said bringing them back to reality and away from their articles. "You all helped with setting up the ball for the city next week and have been invited to attend. Since it is an upper class event, I suspect only Rika has proper attire. And it's too expensive to ask you to go pay out of pocket for an appropriate outfit. So I have set up an account at Mandy Store for you all to go shopping on me. Rika," he said turning to look at her specifically, "I leave you in charge of helping these two find appropriate attire and to be ready for Tuesday."

Rika nodded her head in excitement. Kanae and Kyoko gaped in shock. Their boss was going to buy expensive clothes for them to attend a party they didn't belong at by all rights. But they weren't going to turn the opportunity down.

"Do you all understand?" He asked them. "Rough draft article by Monday and ready for the ball by Tuesday."

"Yes, sir," they all responded enthusiastically.

* * *

Phew! This was a long chapter. I'm posting a day early in case anyone else is bored out of their mind like I am with this social distancing.

Kaname671 deserves a huge thank you for this chapter. The final draft is twice as long as the first draft was thanks to her asking for more interactions. I rushed the week a bit too much trying to get through it.

In light of everything going on with the Carona virus, I would like to provide a little extra entertainment if I can. I'm up for writing a few one shots. If you have a skipbeat fanfic idea you would like to see played out, tell it to me. I'll see what I can do to make it come to life. If you discuss it with me in Discord, it'll probably come out better than if you just drop the idea in the comment section. But I'll try either way. If a lot of people decide to take me up on this offer, I won't be able to get to everyones probably.

Apple Yumi 94: great questions on why Ren can't figure out Kyoko's pregnant scent but Maddog can. There is a very good reason for it to be revealed during the twelfth week :P

Thank you all for your comments! I love reading how much you enjoy the story and that it brightens your days.

-Besma0003


	22. Shadow Project Done

Week 11

Kyoko plopped into bed as soon as she got home. She couldn't walk another step. All three women were so excited about the prospect of shopping with someone else's money that they went to Mandy right away to find dresses. They stayed there trying on different dresses for hours. In the end, they did find something for each of them.

It was the first time Kyoko did that. Sure, the three of them went thrift store shopping together previously but this was a different experience. It was great getting to see her two best friends dress up in gorgeous outfits. She even felt beautiful herself in several of the dresses she tried. Kyoko couldn't wait to wear the dress she bought for the ball.

But before then, she needed to sleep. Then in the morning, it was time to write her article. Kyoko looked over at Jack who was sleeping on her pillow. She crawled up next to him not even bothering to change and passed out with him.

* * *

Kyoko decided to focus her article on the police department and its role within the city. There was the obvious piece of fighting crime but she learned about additional aspects to the job. As much as she loathed thinking about Sho, he participated in the school festival along with other officers. Their presence added security to the event. Ren also showed her another side of his job at the courts. Not only does he play a role in catching criminals, but also in making sure they get convicted.

She dedicated Saturday to writing down all her thoughts, gathering information that supported what she learned, and writing her first draft. It was exhausting, and she found herself once again collapsing into her bed that night.

On Sunday, she looked back over her article and made edits. She went through a few drafts before she was happy with it.

"Well Jack, I think I finally have a winner," she told him sipping her coffee from a travel mug while petting him. She liked to lay on her bed while working on her computer. He was beside her for most of the weekend. Sometimes laying on top of her or the laptop. He didn't like the computer getting the attention he felt he deserved. To distract him, she would bring out a grudge demon for him to play with. That didn't always work.

But now she was done. It was sent off to the boss. No more tweaking and revising. She could just lay in her bed and relax. She folded her arms and rested her head on them as she closed her eyes for just a few minutes.

* * *

_She was laying in her bed with her belly round and huge. Her feet were incredibly sore. __Someone was in her apartment cooking for her. He was always there taking care of her so she didn't strain herself too much. He brought her over a plate with an omelet on it for her to eat. Sitting up, she took the plate from him and started eating. He sat at the foot of the bed and started massaging her poor, aching feet. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever felt._

* * *

Kyoko woke herself up with an audible sigh. She groaned as she realized the foot massage was just a dream and not real. It was so good she literally sighed herself awake. _If only someone would do that for me. What a dream._

While the massage was great, the size of her belly in that dream not so much. _Am I really going to get that big? _She wondered to herself lifting up her shirt to look at her stomach. It was still pretty normal. She got out of bed to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. Still no visible changes. She checked herself from both the front and the sides. _It would be great if I stayed this size the whole pregnancy. _Deciding it was a good idea to stop being vain, she walked over to her couch and turned on the tv. Now that she was done with her work, she could Netflix binge for the rest of the day.

* * *

Week 12

Ren was drinking a glass of whiskey trying to mentally prepare himself for the next day. He had to attend the City Council Ball. There were far more important things for him to be doing like trying to catch a serial killer. But he wasn't allowed to officially work on that case yet. And as much as he would rather be working on a case than attend the ball, he had to show up for public morale. The event was going to have TV crews there conducting interviews and live broadcasting. Everyone in attendance would have the same goal of showing civilians that we would get through the crime wave and we were all working together for it to happen. His job was to represent the detectives and others of the force who wouldn't be there.

He couldn't skip out on this party like he did the one three months ago when he got drunk and had his first hook up in ages with a woman who suddenly showed back up in his life a few weeks ago. He still couldn't believe they crossed paths again. Thankfully, she didn't recognize him. It would be incredibly awkward if she did.

Ren opened the top drawer to his desk and saw the small gift he bought. It was a random purchase. He didn't even know when he would see her again. Since she had a habit of just popping up, maybe he should just carry it on him always. They would see each other again. Even though their first two encounters were by chance, they would never be strangers to each other again. He would see her many times more and be teased by her seductive scent.

* * *

Kyoko woke up Tuesday morning instantly remembering what big event was happening in the evening. She jumped out of bed in her excitement and rushed to the bathroom to start getting ready. The rush caused her stomach to flip. Instead of starting her morning routine, she puked as soon as she got into the bathroom. _Right, gotta get up slowly now. _She discovered that moving too fast in the morning made her more nauseous. If she got herself ready slowly and gave her body time to adjust to being awake, she was less likely to be sick. Some mornings she even managed not to throw up.

She got up from kneeling in front of the toilet, flushed it, and grabbed her toothbrush. She lazily brushed her teeth for a few moments before gasping at her appearance in the mirror. She gripped both sides of her sink and leaned in close to the mirror to get a better look. Her face was covered in a bad acne break out. _How did this happen? And why today? _She didn't usually have much acne. At worst, just a pimple or two once in a while. But her face was covered in zits and red splotches.

Once she finished brushing her teeth, she grabbed her makeup supply and covered up her facial imperfections as best she could. She didn't have a lot of practice putting her makeup on this heavy so it might not look the greatest. _But that's still better than all that acne!_

* * *

Kyoko was riding the bus over to Rika's house. The three friends worked until three in the afternoon helping out different seniors at LoveMe. Kyoko worked with the same one who sent her to the pawnshop to look for the set of daggers. It was a good opportunity to ask him the questions Ren had about the case. He texted her the weekend following their week together to see if she could get more information on why her senior thought the man on trial was innocent even though all the evidence pointed to him. She didn't have a chance to talk with him until now.

He didn't have much to say, just that a whole set of daggers proves someone else could have easily had the same weapon. It was a strange explanation. The woman's blood was found on the dagger in custody so it was definitely the weapon used in the crime.

She took advantage of the bus ride to text Ren what she found out. '_My senior doesn't have a good reason for why he thinks the man on trial is innocent. He thinks the weapon being part of a set is enough reason for there to be reasonable doubt. I don't think he's very familiar with how investigations work', _Kyoko texted out on her phone and sent off.

She got an almost immediate response of _'Okay, thanks.' _She wasn't expecting such a fast response from him and was surprised when her phone vibrated. She tapped her phone against her chin wondering if there was anything else she needed to tell him while he was paying attention to his phone.

It didn't take her long to realize there was something else to tell him. She tapped out, _'Oh, I was invited to the ball on Friday by my boss. See you tonight!'_

His response came back just as fast. _'Great! See you tonight.' _Her heart warmed a little at the idea of getting to see him all dressed up in formal attire. Too bad there wouldn't be an occasion for him to pretend to be her boyfriend and kiss her while all dressed up...

_Kyoko! Don't you dare go down that road! _She scolded herself as she suddenly stood up in shock at her thoughts. The bus came to a stop at that moment and she flopped back in her seat making a spectacle of herself. _See? This is why we don't think about such things. Only trouble comes from thinking about that stuff._

She got off the bus thoroughly pushing Ren from her mind and found herself in an extremely rich neighborhood. _I know Rika is loaded, but this is a street of mini mansions. Just how rich is she__?_

* * *

Sorry, it's a short chapter. I had a hard time writing this week. I didn't get to post any of the oneshots that were requested either. I did start the Tangled one and will get it posted once it's done.

Did the texting make more sense this time? I know last time I tried writing a text conversation between the two it confused some people. I hope it was easier to follow this time around.

Girl time is coming this next chapter. I skipped the shopping scene because I don't like shopping and didn't want to write about it haha. Descriptions of the dresses will be given either in this next chapter or the following.

I hope you're all safe during this pandemic. This story will continue through this mess so at least you'll have one thing to look forward to. And I'll get those oneshots out as soon as I can. Hopefully, the Tangled one will be out this coming week.

Thanks for all your comments!

-Besma0003


	23. Getting Ready

Week 12

After walking up and down the street gawking at the gorgeous houses with their big fences, Kyoko finally walked up to the correct house. She pressed the gate buzzer. The door immediately clicked open and Kyoko walked through to head up the large driveway towards the big white house. The grass looked like it was watered regularly with its stunning green color. Kyoko didn't know the city had an area like this. She'd only ever seen the parts where people were packed in like sardines (like her apartment) or living in an industrial area. This level of richness was new to her.

She passed two large fountains, one on each side, as she headed up the driveway. They had horses in their centers up on their hind legs. The water was streaming out of the mouths. Kyoko stopped to look at them briefly. The detail of their physiology was exquisite. The muscles looked like they were rippling just under the skin. She would have reached out to touch them but the basins of water were too large for her to get close. The basins were made out of white brick. Kyoko figured they were about her length in diameter. The statues were stunning. Kyoko looked to the house ahead of her curious as to what other sights she would see in the house.

She left the fountains behind and made her way quickly to the house. A butler greeted her at the door and showed her in. "Ms. Rika is in her room upstairs with Ms. Kanae already. I'll show you up," he told her. The butler was younger than Kyoko expected. He looked around her age, not some old man. He led the way up a staircase that was just inside the door. It curved to the left as they went upstairs. She couldn't help but marvel out the stairs. The steps were a beautiful mahogany and the railings matched. The railing was supported by white pillars that were a few inches apart all the way up to the top. As she walked up sliding her hand along the rail, Kyoko noticed how smooth it was. She couldn't help but think it was a real princess staircase.

At the top of the stairs, they went left to the room at the end of the hall. The butler called through the door, "Ms. Rika, Ms. Kyoko is here."

Kyoko felt a little awkward at being announced instead of just knocking and saying she was there. She didn't have much time to think about it as Rika pulled her bedroom door open wide beaming at her. "Great! Come on in, Kyoko," she said grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room. The door closed behind them as Kyoko gaped at her friend's room.

She had a four poster bed at the edge of the room made from a dark stained oak. The curtains and bedding were a matching light peach to offset the darkness of the wood. A vanity was to her left near the door. Light bulbs were all around the mirror lighting up the space. The desk portion was elegant with sides that looked like mirrors and diamond and crystal down the front.

Kyoko continued to gape as she looked to her right. The wall opened up to another room that was down a few steps from their current level. The second room had a large u-sectional couch against the left wall with a TV on the opposing wall. At the back of the room were several bookshelves, a few comfy seats, and a glass coffee table.

As they continued towards the bed where Kanae was sitting, Kyoko noticed a door beyond the wall opening on the right. She was able to see in and noticed it was a master bathroom. Kyoko found herself almost salivating at the idea of spending time in this space.

"Now that you're here, we can start getting ready," Kanae said standing up from the bed to meet them.

"Do we really need this long?" Kyoko asked. "The party isn't for another several hours." She looked at her two friends surprised by their look of pity.

"Oh, Kyoko," Rika said. "We are getting three beautiful women dressed up to make men's mouths drop, we're gonna need a lot of time," she informed her. "First are showers for each of us. This house has plenty of bathrooms for us to shower at the same time. I've made sure products are placed in each of them. Once you're showered, come back here and we'll start getting ready," Rika told them leading them back to the door. "And don't worry, once Mark shows you to the other bathrooms he'll stay downstairs. So come back to the room in your towels instead of putting your clothes from the day back on," she continued while opening the door. "Mark, show them where they can get cleaned up." He was waiting outside the door for them. Now that Kyoko wasn't busy gawking at the house, she was able to take a closer look at him. He was tall with long, jet black hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. He was filled out but Kyoko guessed that took work. He looked like the type who would have been tall and gangly as a teenager.

Kanae and Kyoko followed Mark as Rika headed back inside her room presumably to shower. He led them to a room just down the hall and dropped Kyoko off there. The room wasn't as big as Rika's. It was just a bedroom. It looked like a hotel room with its cleanliness and furniture, an expensive hotel room. This room also had a master bath. Kyoko undressed leaving her clothes on the queen-sized bed and walked to the bathroom. She was a little confused looking at the shower. It was a little box essentially. One side was the door that she opened, the other three sides had three circular pieces going down vertically as well as a little lever above each set. Kyoko had no idea what they were for. The wall opposing her had the temperature knobs. She turned the heat first and was shocked when the water came straight down.

The shower head was on the ceiling dropping the water straight down on her. Before it got too hot, she turned the cold on. She fiddled with the temp until it was just right and hopped in shutting the door behind her. The hot water felt great. It was like it was washing her worries away. Kyoko looked again at the little levers on each wall followed by the three circular pieces. She turned the lever in front of her and was shocked when water came straight at her. It wasn't streaming in her face but at her chest level and below.

She didn't know this was a thing. Kyoko quickly looked at the other levers and turned them. She ended up with water coming down from the ceiling and at her from the three sides. It was a marvel. She couldn't help but revel in it. _This is an amazing shower__._

* * *

After her shower, Kyoko dried off as best she could with the towel. She wrapped it around her and walked to the room door. She peeked out to make sure Mark or anyone else wasn't around. Once she confirmed the coast was clear, she darted back to Rika's room not bothering to knock and just entering.

Rika was standing there with a towel in her hair and another one wrapped around her core. "Hey, Kyoko," her friend called over. "I just got out of the shower myself. Do you want to help me grab the dresses from the closet so we can choose the right nail colors and makeup to go along with them?"

"Sure," Kyoko stammered. She was a little taken aback by how casual Rika was about hanging out in towels together. Because all of the girls were jealous of her relationship with Sho growing up, she'd never spent time like this with other women.

Kyoko followed Rika down the few steps into the living room and noticed a door on their left. It was a partial door, perhaps gate was the best way to explain it. It reminded Kyoko of those old west movies where people walked through a swinging mini door to enter a saloon. The door was like that, except white, clean, and all around rich looking. On the other side was a walk-in closet. Rika passed her one dress and grabbed another for herself. "Let's only take one at a time so we don't wrinkle them. There are hooks on the bed we can hang them from," Rika told her. Kyoko carried the dress in its protective plastic covering to the bed and hung it on a hook.

Rika went to grab the third one while Kyoko waited there. Kanae came in through the door wearing a towel while she was waiting. "Looks like I'm the last one done," she said coming in closing the door behind her.

"We've pulled out the dresses already," Rika said coming back into the bedroom holding the last dress. She put it up on another hook.

Kanae walked to the bed to join her friends and went to her dress. She fingered it a bit enjoying the feel of the material and its beauty. "It's too bad we're getting all dressed up like this without dates to drool over our hard work," she said turning to her two friends.

"Actually, we do," Rika told them earning a shocked look from both Kanae and Kyoko.

"Since when? Who?" Kyoko managed to ask in her surprise.

"I told Boss we couldn't attend a party like this without escorts. We don't have enough social standing to arrive dateless. Only those powerful enough to make statements with there mere presence can arrive dateless," Rika informed them.

"So who are we going with?" Kanae asked.

"Those we worked with over the past three weeks, Hiou, Ren, and Yukihito," Rika said nonchalantly as she turned away from them hiding a smile. "Those three will make excellent escorts, don't you think?" She said turning her head back to them now that her face was schooled.

"I guess," Kanae said sounding uninterested.

"Um, yeah," Kyoko said a little more nervously.

"Shall we get ready?" Rika said turning fully back to them and clapping excitedly.

* * *

They started off with pedicures and manicures. Rika was familiar with these types of events and made sure her friends were just as dolled up as everyone else. The process gave them ample time for chit chat which she was fully intending to take advantage of.

"So Kyoko," she said while they were soaking their feet in the seats next to the bookshelves. "It seems like you've gotten rather close to Ren." She let her words hang in the air while she waited for her friend to respond.

"Yes, we worked well together," Kyoko said smiling at her. "He helped me out afterward too with the school incident and the stalker."

"How are you doing after all that?" She asked putting her interrogation on hold for a minute while she made sure Kyoko was okay. Being exposed and stalked all in the span of a few days was a lot to go through.

"I'm okay," Kyoko said. "I didn't think about it much this past week to be honest," she told her.

"That's good. I'm glad you didn't let those events get to you. Of course, if those things were bothering you, I'm sure there's someone who would be willing to help you feel more at ease," Rika said turning the conversation back to her interrogation.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked her looking confused.

"I mean a tall, dark, handsome someone who carries a badge and picks up the phone whenever you call and ignores all other calls," Rika said teasingly. Kyoko continued to look at her confused. "Ren," she said bluntly since the girl clearly wasn't getting it on her own.

"What do you mean?" She repeated still looking confused.

"I mean he's got the hots for you," Rika told her exasperated. "Did you not notice?"

"I think you're confused," Kyoko told her. "There's no way he's interested in me. I'm way too plain and boring."

Rika frowned at her friend's words. "What on earth makes you think that?"

"You should probably tell her what happened," Kanae said. She'd kept quiet during the conversation so far preferring to sit back and relax.

"Tell me what?" Rika asked. She noticed a few times during their conversations that there was something she didn't know that had a big impact on Kyoko. She was eager to finally find out what that was.

Kyoko sighed before starting her story. "I used to date an officer by the name of Sho Fuwa. I grew up in his household and followed him to the city. He wanted to be famous, still does. So he tried to investigate the missing children's case from a few months back. He couldn't get any leads so I helped him. I found the kids. Instead of giving me credit, he dumped me." She paused for a moment before continuing, "that night is the same night I got pregnant from a drunken one-night stand." She looked down at her stomach as she said the last line. She was wearing a tank top and shorts now. After they all showered, Rika took out some clothes for them all to put on while they got ready.

"I didn't realize it was that night," Kanae said contemplatively.

"I'm still a little confused. That guy's a jerk. What does that have to do with you not being attractive enough to attract Ren Tsuruga?" Rika asked.

"He said I was plain and unattractive. Just during the shadow assignment these past three weeks, at least two others have spoken the same words," Kyoko told her two friends.

"Who?" Kanae said sitting up for the first time in their conversation from her relaxed position.

"Ah, Eiji and Mimori," Kyoko said.

Kanae scoffed upon hearing the names. "Of course Eiji would say something like that. Kyoko," she said turning to her friend looking at her determinedly, "ignore Eiji. He's an idiot. He wouldn't know what beauty was if it hit him up beside the head. His upper head is guided by his lower head. Men like that don't have worthwhile opinions."

Rika watched as Kyoko gave Kanae a small smile in appreciation. _She doesn't believe her. She thinks she's just being a good friend. _She thought about the other name mentioned and had a realization. "Wait a second, Mimori is the one who was hanging off of the officer at the church…that was Officer Fuwa!" Kyoko nodded in reply. "Mimori is jealous of anyone Officer Fuwa could have an interest in, you can't go off of her comments either."

"She doesn't know my connection to Sho. The first time she met me she stared and said I wasn't nearly as interesting as you," Kyoko told her. Anger flared in Rika at hearing those words. The look of hurt on Kyoko's face was painful to see. She knew women typically didn't trust other women's opinions of their looks. For some reason, women only listened when men validated their beauty. If that was the case, she would make sure there was at least one man drooling over her tonight.

"Kyoko," Rika said drawing her attention from her thoughts. "Would you believe us that you're beautiful if a certain someone called you beautiful tonight?"

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked her confused.

"Ren," Rika stated plainly. "I promise you he will be swept away by your beauty tonight. Would you believe us that you're beautiful if he tells you?"

"What? He would never be interested in me," Kyoko said in protest with her cheeks a little pink. _Hm, so she is at least a bit interested in him back. _"Why on earth do you think he would be?"

"I told you, he answered all your calls. When I was with him, he ignored his phone if it wasn't obviously work," Rika said.

"It's true," Kanae piped in. "When the incident on stage happened, he was furious. I was a little afraid he was going to explode," Kanae told them.

"He was mad at me for thinking about revenge," Kyoko told them rolling her eyes.

"No, this was before we left the precinct to go pick you up. Before he knew about what you were planning to do to get back at Sho," Kanae said.

"Oh," was all Kyoko said. It looked like she was processing that he might have actually gotten mad on her behalf.

"See? He likes you. Although, I'm not sure he realizes that himself, to be honest," Rika added. He didn't act like a man with a crush otherwise. His behaviour towards Kyoko was just different than how he acted towards anyone else.

"How can you realize something that someone doesn't know themself?" Kyoko asked her.

"Oh, it's easy. I'm sure you've done it before. Like with Hiou," Rika said changing the topic. She'd picked on Kyoko enough. Now it was Kanae's turn.

"Oh!" Kyoko said excitedly. _Looks like she noticed it too._

"What about Hiou?" Kanae asked them.

"He likes you," Kyoko blurted out happy about the change of subject.

"I think you're confused," Kanae replied coolly.

"He was definitely asking about you when I was there," Rika told her.

"Same with me," Kyoko added. "It's pretty obvious he likes you."

"You're both crazy. He's too busy with work to think about relationships," she told them.

"If you say so," Rika said knowingly.

"What about you?" Kanae shot back. "You've told us both about our romantic prospects. Who's on your mind?"

"Oh," Rika said smiling slyly. "I have someone in mind."

* * *

Ren was waiting outside of his apartment for the limo. Yukihito lived in the same building and would be down soon. Arriving at the ball in a limo with a date was not what he was expecting when he woke up this morning. Lori Takarada gave him a call to inform him of the plans shortly after he woke up. Lori wasn't his boss like Rori was, but they were both his Godfathers and were always there for him. It was impossible for him to deny the request. Plus, he would be going with Kyoko and her friends who were all good people. The night would probably be more fun with them around.

He checked his phone for the time and noticed a warning for heavy rain later in the evening. He looked up at the sky. It was still light out with minimal clouds for now. Maybe the forecast would be wrong.

Yukihito walked out of the building a moment later and joined Ren. "I can't believe we're riding in a limo. Seems a bit overkill," he said as he got close.

"This is Lori's pet project, you know how he likes to go overboard," Ren responded.

"So I've learned," Yukihito said with a slight nod. The closer Ren became to Yukihito the better his friend got to know his two Godfathers. He'd seen first hand how eccentric Lori could be.

"The limo should be here any minute," Ren said checking the time on his phone again. "We'll go pick up the mayor's grandson before we head to get the ladies."

"The mayor's grandson?" Yukihito asked confused.

"He worked with the girls these past few weeks too and agreed to be an escort as well," Ren told him.

"Huh, I've never met him before. I wonder if he's as stubborn as everyone says," Yukihito responded.

"We'll find out," Ren said as the limo finally pulled up. The two men got in and appreciated the space inside. The seats were white leather. A small cooler was off to the side with beverages in it and glasses on a stand next to it.

Yukihito whistled before saying, "this is a nice ride. Is Lori renting this?"

"I believe it's Rika's," Ren told him. "She comes from a wealthy family."

"Really?" Yukihito asked looking at him surprised. "I didn't realize that. She has money along with beauty and brains." He said the last bit under his breath but Ren still heard him.

He cocked an eyebrow as he asked, "interested?"

Yukihito looked over at him. "Who wouldn't be? She's bright and a beauty." A small smile spread across his lips as he looked at Ren. "Well, it makes sense that you didn't notice since your eyes are already focused on someone else," he teased Ren.

Ren looked at him confused, "Who?"

"Kyoko of course," Yukihito told him still smiling.

"What are you talking about?" Ren asked him genuinely confused.

"Ren, she's the only woman I've ever seen you take a step back from and you take all of her calls. Not to mention you run to her defense whenever she is in trouble," Yukihito pointed out to him.

Ren groaned before replying, "that was one time. I was startled by something. And of course, I help her out. She's been stalked and had someone expose her on live tv. What kind of a man would I be if I didn't help her out in those situations?"

"Ren, as your friend, I'm telling you, you have an interest in her. And that's fine, a good thing even. Why won't you embrace the fact that you're attracted to her?" Yukihito asked him.

Ren stared at his friend a moment before responding. "I don't have the right to be attracted to anyone. I just need to focus on work." He spoke with a dangerously low tone to cut off the discussion. Yukihito didn't miss it.

"Fine, if you say so," he replied lifting his hands up in defeat.

They sat in silence the rest of the way to go pick up Hiou Uesugi.

* * *

Ren had never met Hiou before now, but he'd heard talk around town about his seriousness. He lived up to his reputation. Hiou was very stoic for an 18-year-old. He took Ren by surprise when he spoke up for the first time after introductions.

"I'll be escorting Kanae," he told the two older men while looking out the window. Ren and Yukihito looked at each other both raising an eyebrow.

"That's fine," Ren told him. "But how do you know she wants you to be her escort?" The young man looked at him with a glare.

"Kyoko told me she enjoyed working with me more than she did with you. She would enjoy herself more if I was her escort," he said challengingly. It took everything Ren had not to smile at the young man who was clearly head over heels. _I may not be interested in turning this into something more but someone sure is. _

Yukihito saved him from having to reply by speaking up, "Why don't we let the ladies decide who they want to walk with?"

"Hmph, fine," was the response Hiou gave as he folded his arms and looked back out the window. Ren had to turn his own head and cover his mouth with his hand to hide the smile he couldn't hold back anymore.

At that moment, they arrived at Rika's house. The girls were all getting ready there. Ren already knew Rika was rich, especially with the limo. But the mini-mansion she lived in showed a higher level of wealth than he realized.

When the limo came to a stop, all three men got out of the car and walked up to the door. Before they even had a chance to knock, a young butler answered the door. "Come in, the ladies will be down soon," he informed them.

Ren, Yukihito, and Hiou filed into the entrance. It was just as nice on the inside as it was on the outside. Ren heard the sound of heels clicking coming from upstairs and looked up to see the three women heading for the top of the stairs to walk down.

Rika came first wearing a floor length red dress. The bottom half was silk with the top half being lace. A slit in the skirt went up to her thigh. The sleeves were a see through material with red embroidered flowers on them. She was wearing her red hair down and straight.

Kanae came second wearing a similar dress but hers was a deep purple with a deeper cleavage. The bottom half was also silk with a high slit with a lace top half. She was wearing her hair up in a bun with a few bangs framing her face.

Last came Kyoko. Ren forgot to breathe for a moment when he first saw her. Her dress was also floor length but of a different style. It was light blue with the silk portion being almost the entire dress. Above her breast line, it turned into the same see through material as what the other two were wearing with silver embroidered flowers. It wasn't form-fitting. Instead, it flowed around her creating pleats making her look stunning. Her chestnut hair was too short to put up, but it was styled to bring out her eyes.

All three men watched speechless as the three women descended. Rika reached the bottom of the stairs first. "Hello, gentlemen. Thank you for escorting us. It wouldn't do for us to arrive at the party single," she said with a smile. Something about her seemed mischievous. "So, what do you think? Are we beautiful?" She asked them.

Ren was having a hard time getting his mouth to work. Thankfully, Yukihito was able to speak. "You are all stunning," he responded while stepping forward and taking Rika's arm to escort her. "I believe I will be your date tonight if you'll have me," he told her.

"I like that idea," she said smiling up at him.

Hiou took the opportunity to step forward himself. "Kanae, would you mind if I was your escort?" He said holding out his arm.

"Not at all," she said smiling at him while taking his arm.

That left him and Kyoko. He realized at that moment looking at her that he had hoped this was how the situation would turn out. That he would be the one to escort her. _Maybe Yukihito was right. I don't want to take my eyes off her. _He stepped towards reaching out his arm saying, "May I have the honor?"

She smiled up at him while accepting his arm, "Of course."

Ren had to remind himself to breathe. Even before he saw her coming down was the stairs. He was able to smell her intoxicating scent mixed in with the rose perfume she was now wearing. Her smell mixed with how beautiful she was and her touching him was overwhelming. If he wasn't careful, he would trip and make a fool of himself.

The three couples headed out of the mini-mansion. The butler handled the women a shawl to match each of their dresses. They put them around their shoulders before heading out the door. They had to quickly race into the limo as the promised downpour started during their short time inside. They all jumped in the car a little wet.

Ren couldn't help but remember the night he first met Kyoko when she was soaked through from a storm.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed reading the end of this chapter as much as I did writing it. And don't worry, the girl's reactions to the guys will be given next chapter.

I have pics for this chapter to help you visualize the dresses and some of Rika's house a little better. I started the Discord server for this chapter. The pics will go in channel #pics as soon as I'm done posting the chapter. The invite link is in my profile for anyone who has not yet joined but wants to.

The Tangled AU did not get published this past week. I lost some writing time due to the loss of a childhood friend. Plus the story is becoming bigger than I was expecting. But I want it to stay a one-shot, so I'm going to post the whole thing at once when it's done.


	24. Ball start!

In the limo, Kyoko found herself sitting between Ren and Rika. Kanae and Hiou were on the other seat and Yukihito was on the other side of Rika. She hadn't been this close to Ren since the day he saved her from the stalker. In fact, she hadn't seen him since that day. Now he was all dressed up in a white suit with his hair pushed back looking dashing. It was all she could do to keep herself from staring. She found him breathtakingly handsome.

And just like when he kissed her on the head to dissuade her stalker, his body temperature was above average. The heat was practically radiating off of him. _Or am I radiating heat in my embarrassment over being so close to him? _She couldn't tell which one was the case. Either way, she was hot. She took the wet shawl off her shoulders and held it in her lap.

She didn't realize it was supposed to rain tonight. The downpour caught her by surprise, but the shawl provided enough shelter over her head and shoulders to prevent her attire from getting messed up. The limo was right next to the front door which prevented them from spending more than a few moments in the rain too.

"Kyoko?" She heard coming from her right. She looked up from her lap to see Ren looking at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she managed to reply with a smile. "I was just thinking about how I didn't know it was going to rain and that I'm glad it was only a few steps from the door into the limo."

He smiled back at her as he said, "Yes, your too beautiful to be allowed to get drenched tonight. We'll have to be careful when we get to the ball to make sure you don't get wet on the way in."

Kyoko's mouth dropped at his words. She was shocked that he managed to say such a line with a straight face but even more shocked that he called her beautiful.

Beside her, Rika giggled and Yukihito sighed on the other side. "There he goes, sweet talking in public without shame again. Ren, you're such a lady killer." Kyoko looked over her friend to see the other man smirking at Ren. He was picking on him.

"Did I say something inappropriate?" Ren asked him. "They are all beautiful tonight. We can't let their hard work go to waste as their escorts. And Kyoko is my date tonight, I'll make sure she gets inside dry…or at least relatively dry."

Kyoko couldn't help but feel a bit deflated at his words. She'd gotten all excited over him calling her beautiful, but he was just saying it to be nice. He didn't find her attractive and was only concerned about her because Lori asked him to watch out for her. He would fulfill his duty as her escort.

Which is how the situation should be. She had no right getting all excited over his words. She had no business getting butterflies in her stomach over a man. Thanks to a man, her stomach was about to be quite full already. There was no space for anyone else to occupy.

"Kyoko," she heard again from her right. She looked up at Ren realizing she missed the last bit of the conversation. "Did you hear me?" He asked her.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought," she told him.

He chuckled looking at her and started leaning in towards her. "Let me get closer then to make sure you hear me."

Her stomach flipped at his face's proximity to hers as she felt his breath on her ear as he whispered, "I said, I have to make sure the most glamorous of the evening arrives ready to show off her alluring nature."

* * *

Ren opened the door of the limo when they got to the ball. He climbed out of the vehicle first. He was prepared to hold the door open for Kyoko but a valet held the door open instead. So Ren turned and offered his hand out to his date. She took his hand and climbed out with her shawl around her shoulders and her other hand pulling up her dress so that she didn't step on it as she got out.

The ball organizers planned ahead for the rain and set up a tall tent at the entrance where everyone was being dropped off. They were able to get out of the car dry.

Rika and Yukihito got out next.

"I guess we didn't need to worry about battling the rain to keep the ladies dry," Yukihito said to him smirking as Kanae and Hiou joined them.

"Guess not," Ren replied. He knew his friend was picking on him due to his comment in the car. He was just glad Kyoko was the only one who heard his final line.

He glanced at her noticing she was getting pink after hearing Yukihito's joke. He offered her his arm to lead her inside. She accepted it without looking at him. _Great, I made her feel awkward._

That wasn't his intention when he said it. In truth, he wasn't sure what his intention was. He was so intoxicated by her scent and beauty at that moment that a little bit of his old self leaked out. It was impossible for him to deny the attraction he felt towards her now. But that's all it was, a physical attraction. It wasn't something to get excited over. The attraction would pass and he would get his mind working properly around her again.

But for tonight, he would enjoy her presence and how she made him feel.

* * *

Kanae watched as Kyoko took Ren's arm to walk inside. She didn't know what he said. She only saw Kyoko's reaction. Whatever his words were, they left Kyoko stone still for the rest of the ride. She wasn't sure if she should tear Ren a new one or let him be for now.

Rika looked over to her and winked with a smile. She came over and whispered, "They're making progress, don't worry about it." She continued on with her own date leaving Kanae with Hiou.

Kanae smiled at him finally taking her eyes off of her friends to enjoy her own walk in. He was standing as straight as he could to appear taller. His suit was jet black to match his hair. He had a hair cut to style it for the evening, and he was wearing cologne. He was rather handsome.

"Shall we follow them in," he asked her holding out his arm. She accepted it and they walked in behind their friends. The entrance to the building was on the ground floor, but immediately after the entrance grand stairs descended into a wide open room. It was full of decorations, food, and people. The very center was the dance area and was mostly empty. A few couples were enjoying themselves but everyone else was busy chatting. A stage was in the back of the room where the band was playing.

Kanae didn't have a chance to help with the actual decorating of the hall. She was seeing it for the first time. Lights and streamers hung all around the ceiling in silver and navy blue. Plants were placed around the room to add some greenery. Some of them were just green while others had flowers. Every table had a table cloth in the theme colors. It was an impressive sight.

* * *

Kyoko descended the stairs while holding onto Ren. She was glad for his support. Without it, she might have fallen down with her floor length dress, heels, and descending stairs. It wasn't an easy task. He seemed to be aware it was difficult for her as he kept his pace slow.

It felt awkward holding onto him after his words in the car.

"_I said, I have to make sure the most glamorous of the evening arrives ready to show off her alluring nature."_

Kyoko's face flushed red as she remembered his words and missed a step. She would have stumbled down embarrassing herself and probably injuring herself if Ren wasn't there to catch her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her with his face close and the arm she wasn't holding onto wrapped around her front to prevent her fall. _Oh my God! He's touching my stomach! Please, please, please don't notice anything weird. _She was barely showing, but that didn't stop her from being self-conscious about it.

"Yes," she whispered to him. "Thanks for catching me, but you can stop supporting my front now." He released her with the arm he used to catch her as requested but still provided his other arm for her to use for balance.

"Perhaps we should have looked for an elevator," he said looking up and around the room to see if one was in sight.

"I'm fine," she told him. "We're almost at the bottom anyways."

"Right," he said continuing to lead the way down. She realized she missed the feeling of his arm around her as she continued down the stairs.

_Kyoko, you idiot. Get him out of your head. Wanting him to touch you is like wanting him to find out your pregnant! Besides, he's just really good at sweet talking. Don't take what he said to heart and don't get feelings for him. They're not worth it._

She felt a pang of sadness at her last thought. She had no intention of falling in love again but she suddenly realized that would leave her lonely.

_Then I'll just focus on work and be the best at my job!_

As if to approve of her thoughts, her boss, Lori Takarada, appeared at the bottom of the stairs to greet them. And right next to him was another Lori Takarada. She blinked in confusion thinking she had double vision. Except they weren't wearing the same clothes. Her boss was wearing….something blue. She couldn't decide if it was a suit or a ninja outfit. The blue pants were loose on him with a black sash tied around his middle. His undershirt was white with a black outline. His half jacket had no buttons and hung open. Off of his shoulders, dripping down his back, hung a fabric that shined a sparkly gold.

Next to him stood his double in police dress blues. His cuffs had a gold-threaded band around them with some blue woven in. She guessed that represented his position but she wasn't sure. His jacket was fully buttoned with six buttons over the core. A gold plaque with his name on it was over his left breast.

"Rori Takarada?" She read out loud in her confusion.

Lori chuckled at her as he cleared up her confusion. "This is my twin brother, Rori. He's the chief of police."

"I didn't realize," Kyoko stammered out.

Ren laughed as he continued the explanation. "The Takarada brothers are a force to be reckoned with, with Lori running LoveMe and Rori being the chief of police."

"So he's your boss," Kyoko said looking up at Ren.

"Yes, I am," Rori said speaking up for himself. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kyoko," he said extending a hand to greet her.

"It's nice to meet you as well," she said taking his hand.

"You must be Kanae and Rika," Rori said looking at her two friends and greeting them as well. "Thank you all for taking care of Ren while you were working with him."

"Well, we have to go show our faces around now. Be sure to do the same and have fun," Lori told them as he and his brother walked away.

"I knew they were twins, but I never would have guessed how difficult it is to tell them apart," Rika said softly as the two older gentlemen left.

"You knew?" Kanae asked looking over at her.

Rika blinked and looked at Kanae, "Well yeah, they're two very powerful people in the city," she responded.

"You're family rubs shoulders with powerful people like mine does. It would be weird if you didn't know," Hiou said from Kanae's side.

_I guess it would make sense for the mayor's grandson to know as well._ Kyoko thought to herself.

"Before we start mingling, should we get drinks?" Yukihito asked them all.

Everyone agreed and the three men left to find themselves and their dates something to wet their throats. The three women found a small statue on a stand to marvel at while they waited. It wasn't very big, the base was only about a foot in diameter. It was a cupid statue, but this was no ordinary cupid. Instead of wielding a bow and arrow, it was wielding a bazooka. It had a little beret and had one eye closed while aiming.

"What do you think would happen to someone if cupid hit them with a bazooka?" Kyoko asked her two friends.

"Die of love?" Rika suggested. "I mean, just an arrow has enough power to make someone fall in love. I can't imagine what this kind of firepower would do."

"Hmm, my guess would be it would cause the couple to have a dozen children since they won't be able to keep their hands off of each other," Kanae said calculatingly.

Rika and Kyoko looked at each other before looking over at Kanae, "that's a lot of kids," Kyoko said.

"No kidding," Kanae responded. "It's way too many kids for anybody." Kyoko wasn't sure if it was just her imagination but Kanae seemed a bit irritated by the topic. She didn't get to ask if she was right as their discussion was interrupted.

"Is that Rika Tachibana? It is, isn't it! I haven't seen you at one of these events for ages!" A woman exclaimed approaching their group. She was wearing a skin tight navy blue dress. It accentuated all of her curves. "Drake, come here. We MUST say hi to Rika!" She was pulling along a man who was obviously her date. He was wearing a black suit, very tall, and very handsome. He had gold studs in each of his ears which brought out the brown in his eyes. He had short blonde hair. He was the type of guy women openly swooned over.

Next to her, Kyoko noticed Rika stiffen. Kanae noticed too as she looked at their friend. Both ladies went on alert for whatever was coming and looked back at the approaching woman and her date.

"Rika! It's so great to see you!" She said once she arrived at their little group. "On what occasion are you here for?" She asked innocently. Something about her behavior made her feel insincere to Kyoko.

"I'm here for work," Rika told her not giving up any details.

"Work? Whatever do you do? I know you aren't working with your father. Your name hasn't popped up in any meetings," she asked questioningly.

"I'm working at LoveMe," Rika told her proudly. "These are my friends and coworkers, Kyoko and Kanae," she said introducing her two friends.

"Oh, how delightful to meet you," the woman told them. "My name is Clarissa," she said silkily.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Kanae said. "But I'm afraid I missed how you know our Rika?" She said on the offense taking a small step forward.

"Rika," Clarissa said looking at her astonished, "you've never told your friends about me or Drake? That's alright, I can introduce us," she said changing her astonished look to an accomplished smile.

"Rika and I grew up together attending all the same events because our parents run big businesses. And Drake here is someone who works in her father's company. She had a bit of a crush on him when we were teens," she pretend whispered conspiratorially to Kyoko and Kanae.

"It's nice to meet you lovely ladies," he said flashing them a smile. Kyoko saw no honesty in his eyes.

"But I haven't seen Rika in a few years and her name hasn't been brought up in business circles. I've been wondering what happened to you," she said turning the conversation back to Rika. "So you work at LoveMe now? Are you a consultant for their business section?

"No," Rika responded calmly. "I'm a reporter."

"A reporter?" Drake questioned. "You mean... a low class job?" He looked horrified.

"Oh," Clarissa said with her hand over mouth. "I had no idea." Kyoko noticed her fingers were covered in rings and she was wearing several bracelets. The necklace that hung around her throat looked like it could be 10 lbs with all of its adornment. "What possessed you to demean yourself like that?" She asked.

"Demean?" Kyoko questioned her. "I've never done more fulfilling work or learned so much in such a short span of time."

"Well, of course," Clarissa said to Kyoko. "I'm sure YOU've never done anything better. But Rika could sit on top of the world with the rest of us if she so pleased." Kyoko's mind took a second to process the comment. Clarissa continued turning back to Rika, "And yet here you are, dateless with only your low class friends to accompany you," she finished with clicking her tongue. "Your parents would be so disappointed."

"Dateless? Who's dateless?" Yukihito said walking back to the group carrying two drinks. He handed one to Rika and kept one for himself. Hiou and Ren followed behind him each giving their dates a drink. All three men wrapped an arm around their dates smiling at the unfamiliar women.

* * *

Yukihito, Ren, and Hiou had a hard time picking drinks for their dates. They realized once they got to the table they had no idea what the women liked.

They decided to settle for something light to be on the safe side. They got the women and themselves champaign. They could get more drinks later that suited their tastes. Yukihito had a feeling Rika could drink him under the table if she wanted to. To be honest, it wasn't hard to do since he was a light drinker. But he figured he'd play it safe as well. If she wanted a harder drink, he could get her one later.

"Shall we head back?" Ren asked when they were all loaded up with drinks.

"Sounds good," Yukihito responded. He was looking forward to the evening. Of course, he wanted to pick on Ren over Kyoko, but even more, he wanted to spend his time with a gorgeous, fiery redhead.

"What's going on over there?" Hiou asked bringing Yukihito out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Rika, Kyoko, and Kanae talking to another couple. From a distance, the atmosphere looked strained.

"Let's go check it out," Yukihito said and started walking over. The other two followed behind him to make it easier to get through the crowd. As he got closer, it was obvious Rika was uncomfortable and her two friends were looking ready to pounce. He heard the brunette in the navy blue dress speak and he knew why.

"And yet here you are, dateless with only your low class friends to accompany you," she finished with clicking her tongue. "Your parents would be so disappointed."

_We can't have that_. He thought as he walked deliberately past her to reach Rika.

"Dateless? Who's dateless?" He said walking up to Rika, giving her her drink, and wrapping his newly freed hand around her back. He tried to ignore the butterflies the physical contact gave him while he continued the confrontation. "Are you dateless?" Yukihito said holding his glass up to her as if pointing.

"I'm her date," the man in the black suit said next to her.

"Really?" Hiou asked him sounding surprised. "Your earrings are fake gold, your suit is secondhand - you should have gotten a better seamster to fit it for you - and your hair is clearly dyed. You probably only got to come to this event to be her meat candy, am I right?"

The man's face turned to stone in his shock.

"Ah, it looks like your date has stopped functioning for the night," Ren said noticing how the other man didn't respond. "I guess you'll need a new one. I believe there are a few men over by the drinks who would love some female companionship for the night if you're so inclined." He took a sip of his champaign while the woman sputtered before continuing. "With all the plastic you've added to your body, I'm sure you're just their type."

Her eyes filled with horror as she processed the implication of all of his words. Yukihito couldn't help but smirk as she stuttered over her words in her anger. Ren could be a lady killer, but he could also drive a knife through a person with his words.

"If you'll excuse us," Yukihito said noticing a new song started playing in the hall. "This is our song," he said turning and walking towards the dance floor leading Rika along. He put his drink on a table along the way and Rika did as well.

* * *

Rika didn't know what to say to Yukihito or her other friends for that matter. Clarissa had always been a pain in her side. It was incredibly satisfying watching her get scolded like that. They all really came through for her. She tightened her grip on Yukihito as they continued to dance.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her noticing that she gripped him tighter.

"Yes, I was just feeling grateful to you all," she told him looking up at his face. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized how close their faces were, that he was holding her, she was touching him, and she thought he looked handsome from the moment she laid eyes on him tonight.

He was wearing a dark grey suit with a navy blue undershirt and tan tie. His bangs were hanging off either side of his face framing it perfectly. She found him breathtaking.

"There's no way we could not speak up. She's a real piece of work," he responded to her.

"Yes, she is and always has been," Rika said trying to focus on the conversation and not his hands on her while they danced. "By the way, we don't have a song," she said trying to keep the conversation going.

"No, we don't," Yukihito said musing about it. "It was a convenient excuse to walk away from them." Rika's heart dropped a little at his words. She was glad for the escape but she liked the idea of them having a song. "But," he whispered to her as he pulled her closer. "I've been anxious to get you on the dance floor since I first saw you this evening. And I wouldn't mind making this our song," he said smiling at her. She gaped up at him in surprise at his words but then returned the smile.

"I like that idea," she said as she reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek and breathed some words into his ear.

* * *

Kyoko was beside herself with nerves. She and Ren followed Rika and Yukihito to the dance floor with Hiou and Kanae behind them. She was now dancing with Ren Tsuruga. The most popular detective in the city and arguably one of the most handsome men in the city… and she wasn't a very good dancer.

"Ouch," he said as she stepped on his toes again.

"I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this," she apologized for the third time.

"It's alright, just relax. Let me lead," he told her. That was easier said than done. How was she supposed to relax when she was in the arms of a man who was too handsome for his own good? Sure, she'd sworn off love but that didn't mean she couldn't recognize someone was good looking and be overwhelmed by it.

Ren groaned as she stepped on him again. "Sorry," she whispered.

"If you're uncomfortable, we can stop for now and try again later," he said looking down at her.

_Yelp_ Her mind thought as she looked up into his patient face. He wasn't suggesting to stop because he was frustrated with her but because he could tell she was having a hard time. She smiled at him appreciatively, "that sounds like a good idea."

As Ren led her to the table where they all set down their drinks, Kyoko noticed Rika and Yukihito leave the dance floor and disappear into the crowd. _Wonder where they're going? _Ren pulled a chair out for her to sit in grabbing her attention. She was grateful for his thoughtfulness. Her dress was making everything more difficult since it dragged on the floor a bit. In truth, it was part of the reason why she kept stepping on Ren while dancing. The dress was gorgeous but not very practical she was discovering.

Kyoko looked at their drinks on the table and internally groaned. She was going to have to explain she wasn't drinking. _I hope he doesn't get offended by me not drinking what he got me. But I don't have to worry about it this moment because I need to pee. _ "I need to head to the restroom for a minute," she said to Ren.

"I'll wait here for you," he told her.

"Thanks," she said as she stood up and headed to the bathroom. She knew where it was thanks to her work here the week before. She was thankful for that. It would have been difficult to navigate this packed hall looking for the bathroom. But since she knew where she was going, she headed right there. She was passing the bazooka cupid statue when someone caught her eye. A few feet in front of her was a man with long white hair. The description from Max and the kidnapped kids came to Kyoko's mind as she stood still in shock staring at the man.

As if sensing her attention on him, he turned and looked at her. Despite the white hair, he was young, probably only a little older than her. A smile spread across his lips as he started to walk towards her. She looked at his eyes to see if they were white like his hair as in the description she knew. _Purple__?_

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I certainly had fun kyaaing over it while I was writing it. There's lots more to come of the ball next chapter. I have 10 bullet points of things that need to happen during the ball and I only crossed off one thing in this chapter. Next week will be loaded with drama. It may take a third chapter as well. We'll see.

I spent an hour talking over with my husband what they should all be drinking for the night. He picked out all their drinks for next chapter. Readers who are drinkers, let me know if you think he picked well. I don't drink so I had no idea what to go with, haha.

I added a couple of more images to #pics in discord. One is Lori's outfit. I found a fan creation and thought it was perfect for the evening. The other is what the bazooka cupid is based off of. My husband and I have a thing over cupid with a bazooka. I couldn't miss the opportunity to add it to the story. If anyone's interested in the our story about it, I can tell it in discord.

AppleYumi94 showed me that someone posted about my story in the skipbeat group. That was awesome to see. Thanks for that. It helped get me over a minor block halfway through this chapter. There is so much about to go down it was a bit overwhelming to know what scenario to start with. I think I have a general order in my head now though.

Kaname671 helped write that line of Ren calling Kyoko glamorous and alluring. It was a doozy to get all the right words.

Thanks for reading and all your comments!

-Besma0003

PS: I did post another story this past week. It's called In Her Tower and is the Tangled AU that was requested for me to do. I'm incapable of keeping it to one chapter though so it'll be a few.


	25. Reino

The purple eyed man with the white hair approached Kyoko. She was unnerved by his look. _Is his hair naturally white? Or is it dyed__? His eyes must be purple because of colored contacts. Does that mean the killer is using colored contacts as well? _Iris's aren't usually white but that's the description she had so far of him.

"I couldn't help but notice you staring," he said to her when he got close enough. His words pulled her from her thoughts.

"Sorry about that," she said a bit embarrassed. "I thought you looked like someone I'm looking for," she told him vaguely.

"Could that someone be a killer who tears his victims to shreds but kidnaps children leaving them all unharmed," he said catching her off guard.

Kyoko stared in shock at the man in front of her. He shouldn't have those kinds of details. It was not yet released to the public that the two cases were related, mostly because it wasn't yet accepted that they were. Only Ren and Kyoko could see the flower that marked the buildings related to both cases. The only other link is the description in the perp of each incident. That wasn't enough to claim it was the same person. There was no reason to believe a deadly killer who killed anyone who came into contact with him would let children live.

And there was no doubt he killed all his victims. The reason it was so difficult to track him was because of a lack of witnesses. Anyone who could tell the police anything about the man ended up dead.

"H-How?" Kyoko stammered starting to become worried that he could be the killer after all. How else could he know such details?

"I'm a PI hired by some powerful people in the city to get to the bottom of this since the police seem incapable of doing so," the white haired man told her.

"What do you mean 'incapable'?" She asked through gritted teeth. Through her time working with Ren, she developed a great respect for the police force and all the work everyone put in. She knew they were doing their best.

"I mean it's been months since this man has been killing people and the police are nowhere near close to catching him," he responded.

"They'll catch him soon enough," she seethed at his audacity.

"Really? Even the city's poster boy, Ren Tsuruga, has nothing to show the people. People are scared and need someone of real skill to find out what's going on," he told her haughtily.

"And you're that person? Mr…" Kyoko asked trying to get his name. He had yet to introduce himself.

"Forgive me, I never gave you my name. It's Reino X," he told her.

"Reino Ex?" She asked him confused. Was Ex supposed to be his last name?

"Yes, just an X for my last name. A PI doesn't need any more info than that," he said slyly. Kyoko didn't trust that was his real last name, but it seemed that's all she was going to get for now. "And you're Kyoko Mogami, reporter at LoveMe."

Kyoko's mouth almost dropped. There was no way this man should know her, but she wouldn't show her shock to him. "How do you know me?" She asked him coolly.

He grinned creepily before responding, "I checked up on my competition. I looked into Ren Tsuruga and his associates. You and your friends have been working with him for the past few weeks."

"So you've been stalking Ren," she said accusingly.

"Only electronically. I just got to the city yesterday," he said acting like it wasn't a big deal. _How could he know about us working with Ren if he was only stalking him electronically? _That shouldn't be possible. They weren't broadcasting their work…well, not yet. Once Lori picked one of their articles and published it, what they've been up to the past few weeks would be public knowledge. But not until then. "Right now, I am far more interested in you than that useless detective," he said bringing her attention back to him.

"What?" She asked him confused. There was absolutely nothing interesting about her.

"You have an interesting aura about you. Almost like you've unlocked a hidden power," he said taking a step closer.

"What?" She repeated like a broken record. He was starting to sound crazy.

"You're aura is alive in ways not normal for humans. I'm curious as to the cause," he took another step closer as he spoke. Kyoko was getting uncomfortable with his proximity and took a step back herself.

"It's not possible to see auras," she said half heartedly. She couldn't really be sure considering she could summon her own demons. And she wasn't insane, they were real. The damage in the store when they first appeared was proof of that. Not to mention her cat, Jack, played with them all the time.

His eyes flashed picking up on her hesitation. "You know what makes your aura different," he said still taking steps towards her. Kyoko kept backing up until her back came up against the bazooka cupid statue. He was on top of her before she had a chance to maneuver around it.

"Let's see what's different about you, shall we?" He asked as he wrapped one arm around her waist pulling her to him and put the other on her shoulder using his thumb to brush the bare skin near her neck. She shivered at his touch.

Kyoko felt trapped under his gaze and strength. It wouldn't be easy to escape his grip. His eyes widened in understanding as he continued to stare at her. "I see. You have the ability of manifestation," he whispered so that only she could hear. He chuckled as Kyoko gulped at his description of her little demons. He leaned in so that his mouth was next to her ear as he spoke his next words even softer, "and you're pregnant."

She flipped out upon hearing those words and shoved him as hard as she could trying to getaway. He released her, but she forgot about the statue on a pedestal behind her and fell towards it. Her back crashed into it. She heard the statue lose it's place on the platform and start to fall. She turned expecting to hear and see a crash. Instead, she heard an "Ooph" and saw Ren catching the statue before it hit the ground.

* * *

Kyoko was taking a while to come back to the table. Ren was starting to get a little worried about her. He knew women could take a while in the bathroom, but it wouldn't hurt to meet her at the door and walk back with her.

He got up and headed in the direction he saw her go. He didn't know where the bathroom was. First, he'd head in the same direction as her and see if it was straight ahead. If it wasn't, he would ask around.

It wasn't long before he saw her. She was standing in front of the bazooka cupid statue from earlier. He wondered again at who could have possibly come up with such a thing. His mind was quickly pulled back to Kyoko as he realized she was talking to someone. Someone with white hair, purple eyes, and he was closing the distance between them aggressively. Something Kyoko clearly wasn't happy with as she backing away from him. He watched her back hit the statue and its pedestal preventing her from moving further away.

Ren's eyes widened in surprise seeing the man wrap an arm around Kyoko pulling her into him. Rage filled him as he quickened his pace getting ready to slug the man who would dare touch his date without her permission.

When he was a few steps away, the man whispered something in Kyoko's ear causing her to react violently, pushing him away. But she pushed herself back into the statue causing it to fall. Ren reached out and caught it just in time. It was heavier than he expected. When he looked up, he saw Kyoko's shocked eyes mixed with fear and relief.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her while replacing the statue knowing it wasn't.

"Um," she said nervously clearly not sure how to explain what happened between her and the man.

Ren moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her resting his hand on her hip. He moved so that their sides were touching. He wouldn't let whoever was in front of them get his hands on her again.

"Everything's fine," the white haired man said. "I was just telling Kyoko here that I'm your competition." He smiled knowingly at Kyoko before looking up at Ren.

"Competition?" Ren asked confused. _Is he trying to date Kyoko?_

"He said he's here to investigate the serial killer," Kyoko said from his side. Her voice sounded a little unsteady.

"How is that my competition?" Ren asked looking back at the man. "That case isn't mine. And even if it was, what does it have to do with Kyoko that you would harass her?"

"Don't be modest," the man said to him. "You're the best in the city. You will be put on the case sooner or later. No one else can handle a case of this magnitude. But even when you do get put on the case, I'll still be one step ahead of you," he told Ren.

"Who are you?" Ren asked confused. How did this man know that it was inevitable for Ren to investigate the serial killer and that he was the only one equipped to do it? _Could he know something? _Fear briefly gripped Ren before he realized it was impossible. The man smelled of human. There was no reason for him to have any understanding of what was going on.

"I'm a PI. My name is Reino X, and I'm the best. Some people with special interests have hired me to do what you and your department cannot," he said with a sly smile.

For some reason, this man was goading him. It wasn't working, but he wished he knew why he was trying to get a rise out of him.

"Well Reino, let me make something clear. Stay away from Kyoko. Even if I do get put on that case, she has nothing to do with it. If I find you near her again, I'll arrest you for harassment," Ren said threateningly. He felt Kyoko lean into his side at his words and was almost distracted from the adversary in front of him.

"Are you sure I'm the one who should be staying away from her?" Reino asked with an eyebrow cocked. "I'm fairly certain she's safer around me than you." Ren blinked in confusion at his words. Who was this man and what was he talking about? "After all, out of everyone in this room, no one has a more dangerous aura than you do," he said to Ren pointedly. "Kyoko," he said turning his attention back to her, "for the sake of your health, stay away from this man. He will only cause you harm." Those were the last words he said before walking away leaving both Kyoko and Ren too shocked to respond.

* * *

Reno left the pair behind him in search of his next target. He would have to be wary of Ren. He didn't know what he was, but he wasn't human. His aura was similar to the creature that left the marks all around town. When he got into the city yesterday, the first thing he did was check out the sites of the cases related to the killer. He saw the flower symbol on all of the buildings. The aura of the one who left them lingered. Ren was from the same clan of whoever left it.

In addition to having a connection to the killer, Ren had a dark aura himself. He was brimming with the potential for violence. It wouldn't take much to set him off. Reino would have to be careful around him if he didn't want to be killed.

Kyoko wasn't originally a target. But she was now for personal reasons. Her aura was beautiful. It was a mixture of light and dark. He couldn't wait to see her manifestations for himself. When he touched her bare skin, he was able to see her power and her darkest secret. He wasn't expecting her to be pregnant. But there was something strange about her pregnancy. Whatever was inside of her, he didn't think it was human.

The obvious option for the father was the man standing next to her, Ren. He wasn't human and clearly had feelings for the girl. But he didn't read any love in Kyoko. Whoever the father was, it wasn't someone around her anymore. Next time he saw her, he would discuss her pregnancy with her more. It would probably be safer for her to get rid of the child. Without knowing what manner of beast was within her, it could be very dangerous.

But there was another person in the city who appeared to have supernatural senses. The one who found the kidnapped children. As far as Reino could tell, the only clue to their location was the flower symbol. No regular human would be able to spot it. Officer Fuwa must have some abilities himself. Now if only Reino could find him.

* * *

Anyone feel like the rug got pulled out from under them? :P Reino's not the killer. It never occurred to me people would think it was him until I saw the reactions to the description of white hair. I thought it was a fun misunderstanding and didn't bother to correct anyone.

I wasn't expecting the conversation with Reino to be so long. It's almost a whole chapter's worth. So I'm posting it by itself. I'll still be writing this week and should be able to get something posted for Friday too.

So you get an extra chapter this week! I hope you liked it.

Thank you for your comments!

-Besma0003


	26. He's Got Her

Kyoko never felt so rattled before in her life. Reino somehow deduced that she was pregnant._ Could he really see auras? _She couldn't help but wonder. Kyoko looked up at Ren to ask what he thought about people seeing auras but stopped when she saw the look of alarm on his face.

"Ren, are you okay?" She asked. At the sound of her voice, his grip around her waist tightened. "Ren, look at me." She touched his cheek with her hand and gently guided it to look down at her. "What's wrong?" She asked him. He'd always been calm, collected, and calculating in front of her. She'd never seen him with a look of anxiety on his face.

He looked at her for a few moments with panic in his eyes, but it quickly vanished as he brought his hand up to meet hers on his cheek. "Sorry, I got distracted by something," he said smiling at her. He gripped her hand that was on his cheek and planted a kiss on the palm. "Shall we get back to the evening?"

Kyoko blushed profusely at his action and yanked her hand back. "S-sure," she stuttered. "I still need to go to the bathroom though," she told him.

"I'll walk you there," he said pulling her along by the waist.

* * *

Ren leaned his head against the wall as he waited for Kyoko to come out of the bathroom. That Reino character rattled him enough for Kyoko to notice it. He distracted her from his discomfort by making her uncomfortable. It was a cheap trick, but it worked.

_What does he mean by I have the most dangerous aura? _Ren wondered as his mind turned back to Reino. He knew some humans had supernatural powers, but he didn't understand most of them. If he was talking about power, his words would make sense. Ren had no doubt he could overpower anyone in this room, but that's not what he said. He said 'dangerous'. Was it possible that the darkness he locked within was visible through his aura?

He hated to think that was so. He worked hard over the last several years to build a new life for himself, one more positive. He knew he would never be able to let go of the past; all he could hope was that it didn't consume him.

"Ren," Kyoko said next to him. He didn't even notice her leaving the bathroom. "Don't pay any mind to what Reino said," she said as he looked at her. "Since I met you a few weeks ago, you've done nothing but be there for me. If you were dangerous, you wouldn't go out of your way to help me all the time."

Ren felt a warmth spread in his chest at her words. She trusted him and for now, that's all he needed: one person to believe in him. He smiled at her, grabbed her hand letting her wonderful scent ease his mind, and kissed the back of it this time. "Don't worry, I won't let his empty words get to me. I'll listen to your kind words instead, and I'll always be there to help when you need me."

* * *

For the second time, in the span of minutes, Kyoko's face filled with heat. She yanked her hand back again. But this time, she turned and fled. _What does that man think he's doing? You can't just go around kissing people's hands! _Her heart fluttered picturing the memory. _It should be illegal! It's a crime against humanity to have this strong of an effect on people. He should do jail time for his_-

Kyoko's mental tirade came to a sudden halt as she slammed into the back of someone. She'd been so focused on running away from Ren that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention," she said to the person she ran into.

The man turned to look down at who hit him from behind, and Kyoko's mouth dropped at suddenly finding herself staring into the face of Sho. A mini demon popped out.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you can't help but run into me. You can't keep away and your klutziness prevents you from staying on your feet. You want me to rescue you that badly from being a boring woman?" He said goading her. "I'm afraid not even I can save you from that," he finished with an impish grin.

Kyoko wanted to clock him. Her demon wanted to suffocate him and was begging for permission. Her friends helped her get all dolled up this evening and he had the audacity to call their hard work boring. She was about to yell at him when Ren's words came unbidden from her memory, "_I have to make sure the most glamorous of the evening arrives ready to show off her alluring nature." _Her demon was too stunned by Ren's power in her memory that it sat dazed, unable to recover.

She stared in surprise at recalling his words at that moment. "Actually," she said to Sho only partially paying attention to him. The rest of her mind was chewing over what Ren told her earlier in the evening. Then she looked at Sho and gave him her full attention, "I'm the most alluring one here."

She didn't wait for a response as she shoved her way past him and continued on her aimless flight. But she didn't know why she was running anymore. Ren thought she was beautiful tonight, or at least said it. Shouldn't she go back to his side and enjoy the evening? Her friends put in a lot of work to make her look desirable. She couldn't let their efforts go to waste. She was about to turn to find her way back to Ren when a hand on her shoulder whirled her around.

* * *

Sho was flabbergasted at hearing Kyoko say she was the most alluring one here tonight. _Who does she think she is flaunting herself in front of people? _He was too stunned to stop her when she pushed past him, but he quickly recovered. He spun on his heels and grabbed at her shoulder turning her to look at him.

"What do you mean you're the most alluring one here? Who gave you that horrible idea?" Sho asked knowing she wouldn't think of herself that way. Someone must have told her she was beautiful, and he was determined to find out who.

"I gave her that wonderful idea," a male voice said from behind him. Sho turned his head keeping his hand on Kyoko's shoulder to see who spoke. He saw none other than Ren Tsuruga. Ren walked right past Sho to Kyoko and lifted his hand from her shoulder.

Ren squeezed Sho's arm in the process with a dangerous glint in his eyes, "you should learn to keep your hands off of other people's dates."

Sho's mouth dropped in surprise. "You're here with him?!" He yelled at Kyoko pointing up at Ren.

"Yes," Kyoko said confused at his outrage. "Why does it matter?"

"Because he's…he's," he had trouble saying with Ren there that he saw him as competition for popularity. He glanced up at Ren trying to decide if he should declare war here and now.

"Oh, I get," Kyoko said crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg giving off attitude. "You think that because you don't like him, I shouldn't either. News flash, we aren't dating anymore. I'm no longer at the mercy of your stupidity," she said it so haughtily Sho forgot about everything and everyone else around them.

"Mercy of my stupidity? Are you kidding me? I didn't do anything to you you didn't want. You wanted to follow me here. You wanted to sleep with me. You wanted to help me as much as you could. You should be thanking me for fulfilling your desires," Sho shot back.

"Fulfilling my desires?!" She almost shrieked. "You used me and then dropped me once you felt I was no longer useful to you." She was no longer standing haughtily but ramrod straight with her hands in fists at her side.

He was getting to her. He wanted nothing more than to get under her skin. The final blow was obvious, "You're nothing more than a plain, boring, uninteresting girl. Who would keep you around? You should be thankful I gave you a chance to follow your dreams." Her eyes glinted dangerously at his words. It felt like the air around him thickened, and he felt a moment of fear at the atmospheric change. But the air returned to normal almost as fast as it changed. He focused back on Kyoko. His mouth dropped in shock.

Ren positioned himself behind Kyoko with his arms wrapped around her front. Kyoko was bright pink at the contact. Ren's face gleamed a dangerous challenge, but his words came out like honey, poisoned honey. "I'm not sure who you think you're calling boring," he said resting his chin on Kyoko's head. "I told her she was the most alluring tonight because she is. There isn't a more beautiful woman in the room." Sho could see Ren's grip around her waist tighten. "I feel honored to have her as my date tonight," he finished his words by lifting his chin off her and bringing his head down to her cheek to give it a brief kiss.

Sho saw Kyoko get the reddest he'd ever seen it, but it wasn't just her. Sho was red as well. He didn't know Ren was such a flashy person. His actions oozed to Sho, "she's mine". _Could he actually like her? _Normally, he wouldn't think it possible, but he couldn't deny the sight in front of him.

"We have an evening to get back to," Ren said pulling Sho from his thoughts. "Let's go Kyoko," Ren straightened back up, kept one arm around her waist, and pulled along a still shocked Kyoko. Sho had no words to respond.

* * *

When Hiou and Kanae finished dancing, they found their other friends gone. "I wonder where they went," Hiou said staring at their empty table.

"Who knows," Kanae said not caring too much. She'd seen Rika take off with Yukihito and had a feeling they didn't want to be found until they showed back up. She also saw Kyoko head in the direction of the bathroom only to have Ren follow behind not too long after. _He really can't keep away from her. _It was best to leave them alone as well.

"Should we mingle and start your work for the evening?" Kanae asked him. While this was a fun outing for the rest of them, Hiou was here to work. Ren just needed to show his face to show the police department was working with the rest of the city to target crime. Yukihito was his plus one so it didn't matter what he did. Same with Kanae and her friends. They were extras here, no one cared to see their faces. But Hiou was different. He was grandson to the mayor and his assistant. It was his job to mingle, soothe fears, gather information, and be the host.

He smiled at her knowing she understood his role, "Would you do the honor of joining me?" He asked her.

"Of course," she said smiling back. It would help people's image of him if he had a date to parade around with. Kanae didn't mind, she understood the role. Plus, she wanted to learn more in order to accurately report on politics. "How about we go get some real drinks first?" Kanae said pointing to the champagne on the table. She wasn't a big fan of it.

"Sorry," Hiou said grimacing. "I didn't know what you liked and figured champagne was a safe option."

"It is," Kanae said not feeling offended in any way. "But how about we go to the bar so you can learn what I like?"

"Sounds good," Hiou responded.

They made their way through the crowd over to the bar. Not too many people were getting drinks at this moment. So they only had to wait a couple of minutes before the bartender was able to take their order.

Kanae ordered gin neat and Hiou got brandy neat. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you like gin," Hiou told her.

"Why is that?" Kanae asked unsure where he was going with this line of conversation.

"Gin is perfect for a strong personality like yours," he told her.

She smiled at his compliment. "Aren't you the flatterer. Well, brandy is no slouch of a drink either," she told him.

They got their drinks and walked around finding people for Hiou to chat with. They didn't need to talk long. Hiou just needed to acknowledge people and their concerns. They spotted a woman in a sparkling, silver dress after a few conversations.

Hiou sucked in his breath at the sight of her saying, "crap". Kanae took a closer look at the woman. She caught sight of them as well and was approaching. Her dress had a slit up both sides of her legs with the torso form fitting. It was strapless showing off her breast line. Her hair was blonde, done up in a bun full of silver and sparkle hair adornments. While her clothes were flashy, her makeup was light. She was beautiful without it, and she knew it.

"Hiou," she said when she finally got close enough to them. "I figured I would see you here. Finally finished with school are you?" She asked patronizingly.

"Natsu," Kanae heard the slight irritation in Hiou's voice saying her name. "What a pleasure to see you here. And yes, I finished high school this spring and start college in the fall."

"Ah, so not done with school quite yet," she said relaxing into a stance with one hand on her hip.

"Natsu, this is Kanae," Hiou said introducing her. "She's a promising new reporter at LoveMe." Kanae held herself tall with her head straight to let this other woman know she wasn't intimidated by whatever her social power was.

"One of Lori's new babies," she said turning her appraising eyes to Kanae. "I have to say Hiou, you certainly know how to pick a date. She has intelligent eyes and the stance of a viper."

"I'm right here you know," Kanae said not appreciating being spoken about as if she wasn't present.

"Of course you are, dear," Natsu told her moving one hand into the crux of her arm with the other hand delicately framing her face. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're a nobody. The proof is that you are here with a date and not just by yourself. Women can't attend these events without a man on their arm without arousing suspicion about themselves. But I can," she said with a dangerous glint in her eye. "You see, I own at least half this city. No one would dare question me. Compared to me, you are a nobody."

Kanae didn't like her words, but she also couldn't argue them. She had no social power. When she said she owned half the city, Kanae realized who she was, Natsu Kitazawa. Her family was old money. Natsu was the most recent heiress in her late twenties and had a prodigious business sense. She turned her family's money into a weapon to make more. She might have even more power than Hiou's grandfather as the mayor.

"Compared to you, everyone is a nobody. Including myself," Hiou said next to her coolly. "But frankly, I much prefer Kanae's company to yours," he said as calmly as if he was telling someone he ate toast for breakfast.

Natsu laughed at his words. "I'm glad you're learning how to play with the adults. I look forward to playing more as you grow," she told him as she walked off swaying her hips leaving them staring after her.

"She's a piece of work," Kanae said keeping her eyes on her.

"Yeah, I've known her for forever because of her family's power. She's been at a lot of events my grandfather holds. But the biggest problem isn't her attitude, it's her politics," Hiou told her. Kanae looked at him confused. "She blocks anything that could help poor people and that could potentially get in the way of her business prospects."

"It makes sense she wouldn't want her business messed with," Kanae said trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Unfortunately, a lot of her business is bad for everyone else. She made a deal to sell some property to a company that wanted to turn the land into a dump. It was right next to a residential area and would have caused problems for the residents. We were able to stop that deal going through, but she's made plenty of others not caring who gets harmed in the process," Hiou told her.

"She's one to keep an eye on then," Kanae said taking note of a woman who would likely be the center of a lot of her articles and not in a good way.

* * *

Rika and Yuki made their way back to the dance floor after taking some time to have privacy. Rika smiled at the memory of their kisses. She took advantage of the opportunity to feel the muscles under his clothes and he returned the favor. She definitely liked him.

On the dance floor, they looked around for their friends and saw no one. Their table was empty as well. The cups were all still full of champagne. "I guess we're all doing our own thing tonight," Rika said.

"It seems so," Yukihito said beside her. "In that case, why don't we go to the bar so I can learn properly what you like. I have a feeling that champagne is too light for you."

Rika smiled at his insight. "You would be correct. I love a good long island ice tea," she told him. "What about you?"

"I'll get a sidecar," he told her starting to lead the way to the bar.

It didn't take long to get their drinks. They stood for a few moments enjoying their favorite drinks. They were surprised when someone came up behind them.

"Are you perhaps related to LoveMe?" A woman called from behind. Rika turned to see a vision of a woman in a sparkling, silver dress. The woman had mega class. Rika was impressed.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I just met another woman in a similar dress. I figured it was unlikely to be coincidence," she told Rika. "What's your name?"

"I'm Rika Tachibana," Rika saw the woman's eyes widen at her name. Obviously, she knew her family name.

"Tachibana? As in the family that made its money out of practically thin air?" She sounded impressed at her parents achievements.

"Yes, my parents made some very good investments," Rika responded. Her family was rich but they were new money. Her parents invested in the right products when they were new to the market. Those products took off making them rich. "And who are you?" She asked wondering who she was speaking to.

"Forgive me," the woman said silkily touching one hand to her breasts while hiding the other behind her. "My name is Natsu Kitazawa." Rika's eyes widened in shock. She knew exactly who the woman before her was. She never paid attention to her picture when she appeared in the news, so she didn't recognize her. But she knew full well what her business ventures in the city did to people. "I see you know me," Natsu said smiling. "It's such a pleasure to meet you. I must say I am surprised that you are working for LoveMe instead of following in your parents' footsteps."

Before Rika could respond someone approached from their right. "Nastu," a man with long, white hair called out. Rika was surprised to see that his eyes were purple. It was an odd sight.

"Ah, Reino, have you checked into everyone?" Natsu asked him.

"Not quite, there is one I'm still looking for," he told her.

"I see," Natsu responded. She looked back at Rika with a flash of excitement in her eyes. "Rika, this is Reino X. He's a PI I've hired to get to the bottom of the serial killer in the city."

Rika was stunned at her knowing about the serial killer. Everyone was trying to keep it quiet to not spread mass panic. They couldn't provide people with details about who the intended targets were, and with the crime wave people were already encouraged to not go out at night. People knowing about it wouldn't help them defend themselves any better. So how did Natsu know about it?

"A PI?" Yukihito asked speaking up for the first time next to her. "Why would you hire a PI for something the police are working on?"

"The way you bristled, you must be a member of the department," Natsu said accurately.

"I'm here to do what you can't," Reino told them. "I'll find the killer to help the city claw back from the crime it's experiencing."

"What makes you think you're better than us?" Yukihito asked keeping his cool but clearly irritated.

"Because I can see clues you can't," Reino said cryptically. "I've already met your poster boy, he's not all that good," he told them.

Rika could feel Yukihito's agitation next to her. She place her hand on his arm to help him keep calm. "I've worked with Ren, I'm confident he'll catch any criminal he's assigned to. But he hasn't been assigned to that case yet," she said trying to deescalate the conversation. "If he does, I have no doubt he'll beat you to the arrest," she said with confidence flashing in her eyes. "In the meantime, we have an evening to enjoy," Rika said leading Yukihito away from the toxic pair.

* * *

Kyoko mindlessly put one foot in front of the other as she allowed herself to be led by Ren to whatever destination he had in mind. Her brain was having a hard time processing what just happened.

She lost all sense of her surroundings during her fight with Sho. His words hit all her sore spots leaving her seeing red. Her demons were twirling around her about ready to throttle him when she'd felt a strange pressure at her sides as Ren slid his arms around her pulling her into him. His heat along her back combined with being encircled in his arms and pine scent just about broke her mentally.

She remembered flushing with heat but had no recollection of what happened with Sho afterward. What she did remember was Ren followed up by kissing her cheek. Kyoko lifted one hand to her face to feel where Ren pressed his lips against only a few minutes before. It still felt warm to her. She had no idea what was going on with this man tonight, but she was beginning to learn that he was a kissing fiend.

Before she realized it, they were back at their table. Kyoko stared at the empty seats and full glasses of champagne still confused at recent events. Ren pulled his arm back from around her waist leaving her standing of her own power. It felt cold.

"Would you like your champagne?" He asked as if he didn't just throw her mind into mass confusion. "Kyoko?" He asked again holding up one of the glasses.

"Um, no," Kyoko said finally recovering. "I don't drink." Rika and Kanae made sure she was prepared for this. They told her to say she doesn't drink at all. If she just said she didn't want to drink tonight, someone might pester her until she gave in or told the truth. Neither scenario would be good.

She saw Ren looking at her confused. "Really? I didn't realize," he told her putting the glass back down on the table. "Should we get you something more suitable to drink then?"

"Sounds good, I am thirsty."

* * *

Ren led Kyoko over to the bar. He didn't lead her this time and let her walk on her own. She seemed to have recovered from his earlier actions. He knew it wasn't appropriate for him to embrace her like that, but he couldn't help it. The conversation between Kyoko and Sho felt private. He didn't like what was being said, but he saw no way to interject verbally. So he interjected physically. His actions shut them both up and allowed him to control the conversation to get Kyoko out of there.

It wasn't a gentlemanly thing to do. Kyoko responded with stiffness and mentally shut down on him. He regretted doing something that made her feel uncomfortable. He would make up for it the rest of the evening by being attentive starting with her drink.

Speaking of her drink, _What does she mean she doesn't drink?_ When she said that, Ren felt very confused. The night he met her they were both drunk. He knew she drank. If she didn't want to drink tonight, that was fine. She could have just said that. _What if…..drunk sex with me was such a bad experience she swore off drinking?_

Ren almost stumbled at the thought. He thought he was good in bed. He looked behind him at the woman following along. She was completely oblivious to the blow to his ego. In fact, she looked like she was still feeling embarrassed. Ren groaned inwardly at his own stupidity. _It's not my business what her decisions are about drinking. But it is my business how she's feeling now since I'm the cause of it._

They reached the bar and Ren ordered scotch on the rocks, single malt. Kyoko told the bartender she wanted something virgin.

"You want me to make you something special?" The bartender asked smiling at her.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko responded hesitantly.

"I'm thinking something fruity with a little bit of mint," he told her grabbing a few items off the bar to start combining them.

"That sounds good," Kyoko smiled at him.

Ren had an unsettling feeling watching them interact. For some reason, he didn't like the way the bartender looked at Kyoko, but he didn't do anything wrong so Ren kept quite. Ren did take note of his name tag, Kijima.

Kyoko watched as the man twirled bottles around while making a concoction. She clapped in excitement when he threw a container in the air and caught it behind his back. The feeling in the pit of Ren's stomach was getting stronger.

Finally, Kijima finished mixing the drink and handed it to Kyoko. "Here is a special virgin raspberry mojito for a very lovely lady."

Ren prickled at his words. Kyoko took a sip and mmm'd her satisfaction, "it's so good!"

"It's my favorite to make for a pretty lady," Kijima said leaning on the bar towards Kyoko. "My shift gets off in an hour, would you save me a dance?"

Before Kyoko had a chance to reply, Ren moved beside her sliding his arm around her waist again. It seemed his arm was finding a new home this evening. "She already has a date, thanks," Ren said leading Kyoko away with her new drink.

He once again led her back to their table. He used the brief walk to grab hold of his senses. He did not like the way the man was making eyes at Kyoko. But why? Kyoko wasn't actually his. He pretended a few times that she was to save her from a bad situation. But he was just helping her out. She was beautiful, but many women were beautiful, and he didn't feel this sense of jealousy over them. She had an intoxicating scent, but that wasn't what was causing this feeling in him.

He still hadn't figured out what was going on with him as they reached the table. Kyoko was happily sipping on her drink contemplatively.

"What's on your mind?" He asked her wondering what she was thinking about so seriously.

Kyoko looked at him looking a little unsure, "I'm not sure how to say it…. it's just…did he just hit on me?" She asked Ren.

"Yes," he responded bluntly. _It was pretty obvious. She has to ask?_

"Why?" Kyoko said just as bluntly back.

Ren stared at her shocked. "What do you mean why?"

"Why would he hit on me?" She said clarifying her question.

Ren didn't know what to think. _Do women usually ask why someone hits on them?_ "Because you're beautiful and have a soul lifting laugh," Ren shocked himself as he realized the truthness of his words, particularly the second part.

"I'm not beautiful," she said as if it was an obvious fact.

"I told you earlier this evening that you were and alluring," he said recovering from the shock of his own words.

"You were just being nice," she said avoiding looking at him.

Ren refused to abide that line of thinking and stepped up to her wrapping his arm around her once again, pulling her into him. He used his other hand to gently lift her chin to look up at him. "Are you saying I lie?"

"Well, no," Kyoko responded nervously looking away with her eyes since she couldn't with her face.

"So why don't you believe me when I say you're beautiful?" He pressed her.

"Because I'm just not," she told him. Ren saw moisture start to collect in her eyes as he realized there were years worth of mental abuse demeaning her self worth at play. He didn't know if it was self inflicted or if someone else did it to her, but what he'd seen so far suggested both.

He let go of her chin and wrapped that arm around her as well completely pulling her into him to hug her. "You are beautiful and have turned several heads tonight," he said gently into her hair. Ren knew. He'd been watching their surroundings.

An idea suddenly occurred to him as he let her go, grabbed her drink putting it on the table, clasped her hand, and dragged her to the dance floor. "Come on," he called back to her.

One of the best ways to help a woman regain self confidence was to have fun. He would get her twirling on the dance floor driving self doubt from her mind.

He found a spot he was happy with and turned towards her pulling her into him. "Let's try dancing again," he told her grabbing her waist with his free hand. She looked away with pink cheeks but let him lead her.

Ren took a few minutes to let her get used to the motion. She wasn't stepping on him as much this time. She wasn't as stiff as earlier. He was familiar with the song and heard it gear up for its refrain. "Twirl," he told her excitedly as he flung her out with one arm. Surprise registered on her face as she twirled out but she giggled as she twirled back in. "See, dancing isn't so bad," Ren said catching her back with his torso and wrapping his arms around her for a brief moment before continuing the dance.

"I guess not," she laughed at his antics and enjoying herself.

She was so cute he wanted to kiss her. _Wait what? _Ren barely managed to continue the dance as his thoughts registered to the rest of him.

He found her beautiful, enjoyed her presence, and got jealous over her. Once upon a time, they had sex. The sex was self serving for both of them and held no deep meaning. They were just two hurting people finding comfort in each other.

Comparing what it felt like to hold her then to now, touching her in any way felt so much more intimate. Ren hadn't allowed himself to feel this way about anyone in years. And even when he did have feelings for someone, self punishment was heavily on his mind. The girls he dated then weren't serious relationships. But twirling Kyoko around, seeing her laugh and feeling it in his torn soul, he imagined what it would be like to date her.

He mentally balked at the idea. He didn't deserve to love or be loved. But as he looked down in her eyes as she smiled up at him while dancing, he realized it was impossible for him to stay away from her.

Ren was so focused on Kyoko, he didn't pay attention to what was going on around them. For the last several minutes, smoke had slowly been filling the hall. It was heavy smoke and was hanging low to the floor. But as it mixed with fresh air it got lighter and started to waft up. The smoke contained a strong citrus scent. When people started to notice it, they found it pleasant at first, but then realized it was being carried in smoke.

People started to panic catching Ren and Kyoko's attention. They stopped dancing to look around them. They saw the smoke all over the room and at their feet slowly drifting up. Ren covered his nose at the citrus scent. It was not a smell he was fond of. He wrapped an arm around Kyoko to hold her close so he didn't lose her.

From their left, a few people screamed in surprise. Not a scream where they were terrified, but a scream of shock. The smoke was too thick for Ren to see what was going on but the trail of screaming was heading in their direction. If Ren didn't know any better, he would think someone was making a beeline for them pushing anyone in their way.

He tightened his grip on Kyoko and positioned his body in the direction the screams were coming from. He strained his eyes trying to see what was coming. His nose was useless in this citrus cloud.

From behind him, he felt Kyoko jerked out of his arm and scream. He whirled his head to see a white haired individual disappear into the smoke dragging Kyoko along.

Ice gripped his heart as he launched himself into a run. Only he didn't launch. Someone had hold of his arm holding him back. He looked down to see someone he didn't recognize. The man let go of his arm and smiled.

Ren didn't have time to deal with the small man and took off in the direction he saw Kyoko get taken away in. He'd completely lost sight of her and her captor thanks to the little man.

He saw an exit sign on the far wall and bolted for it. It was unlikely Kyoko's captor would stay in the hall. He would find the nearest exit.

Ren pushed through the crowd as fast as he could startling several people. When he finally reached the door, he pulled it open and was immediately hit by the fresh air as the door closed the citrus smoke inside. In the fresh air, HIS scent clung. _He's got her._

* * *

Sorry it was late, but I think it was worth it. I've been waiting to get to this point for months!

I loved seeing everyone's reactions to Reino. Some thought he was the killer, others didn't. It's cool to see the different perceptions.

So tell me, what was your favorite part of this chapter? There were so many fun lines. I think my favorite is Ren being worried that she quit drinking because he was bad at sex, haha.

For the alcoholic drinkers, what do you think of my husband's choices for the drinks? He's not familiar with the characters but tried really hard to find something that matched the description I gave him.

Thanks for all your comments! I love reading them

-Besma0003

PS: Did the title fool anyone? :P


	27. Memory

The room around them was utter chaos. Kyoko couldn't make sense of what was going on with the smoke rising. She did notice a scent of orange in the air which she found odd. She felt Ren tighten his grip on her and pull her behind him. It seemed like he was putting himself between her and danger but she couldn't tell what the danger was.

Suddenly an arm snaked around her waist below Ren's arm and jerked her away. She felt Ren's arm leave her as she was dragged away. She tried to turn and fight back, but a blow to the back of her head sent her mind into blackness until an old memory she'd forgotten started to play.

* * *

Kyoko was six years old running away from her mother. She moved in with the Fuwa family a year ago, but sometimes her mom would come by to visit. Whenever her mom was away, Kyoko missed her dearly and couldn't wait for her to return. But when she returned, she yelled and hit Kyoko shattering the dreams she made about spending time with her mom.

On this occasion, Kyoko was running because she interrupted her mother's important phone call to show her a picture Kyoko had colored. She colored it for her mother and was excited to give it to her. So she didn't wait for the call to end. The result was her mother yelled at her and smacked her across the face.

She dropped her picture and ran from the room. Kyoko wasn't running away. She was just running from her mom and her shattered dreams of having a loving relationship with her.

The Fuwa's lived in the countryside. It was a small town where everybody knew everybody. They ran a very popular bed and breakfast. Even the locals would stay there sometimes for a date night. With such a close knit community, there weren't many places Kyoko could run to be away from people.

But there was a path in the woods she found recently. It led to a meadow on a hill. At the bottom of the hill was a bubbling stream. Kyoko loved to sit next to it watching the water life swim around and listening to the birds sing. It was a sanctuary for her. She never saw anyone else on the path or in the meadow. As far as she knew, no one else knew it existed. It was easy to believe since hardly anyone else ever went into the woods.

Kyoko made her way along the wooded path to her sanctuary blubbering in her sorrows the whole way. She couldn't wait to sit in her favorite spot next to the water and cry her little heart out. It wasn't long before she broke through the line of trees into her favorite meadow. She stood there looking at the green, grassy hill full of daisies catching her breath. The beauty of her sanctuary stilled her tears as it filled her mind pushing thoughts of her mother away.

She bent down to pick a daisy for herself when she heard splashing and the sound of someone yelling in frustration. She froze in horror. No one had ever entered her meadow before. Whoever it was was down by the stream. She couldn't seem them from where she was and they couldn't see her.

Kyoko held the daisy in her hand as she slowly walked forward. As she neared the part of the meadow that descended down to the brook, she got down on her hands and knees and crawled. Eventually, she was able to see the stream and who was there. It was a boy with blonde hair. Kyoko wasn't sure how old he was, but he was definitely older than her. And he was only wearing swim trunks.

The stream wasn't deep enough to swim in. Kyoko never even waded in it so as not to disturb the creatures who called it home. But here was this boy with nothing but oversized swim trucks on running around. His clothing was definitely too big for him. It looked like they were big enough for a full grown man. The boy wouldn't even be able to keep them up if it wasn't for the string tied at his waist.

She watched as he took off in a run along the brook. He was certainly fast. As he ran, the light around him seemed to shimmer and Kyoko could have sworn she saw blackness. But the moment was gone in a blink of an eye. She blinked in confusion deciding she had imagined it. Below her, the boy was frustrated. He was bent over panting. He stood up and kicked at the grass but kicked a rock instead. He swore as he grabbed at his foot while falling down.

Kyoko giggled at his lack of grace. His head popped up and he locked eyes with her. Once again, Kyoko felt herself freeze as she realized he heard her giggle. She stared in fear at his green eyes. Suddenly, her hands slipped on the grass and her body vaulted forward sending her tumbling down the hill. She screamed in surprise and fear. At the bottom of the hill of where she was located was a huge boulder taller than her. She was tumbling right for it and couldn't stop. When she was a few feet away, she closed her eyes dreading the impact.

But instead of slamming into hard rock, she hit a soft, fur coat. She heard an "oof" when she made impact. Kyoko opened her eyes to see the legs of a dog on either side of her. The fur was pure black. She looked over her left shoulder to see the dog's head. "Where did you come from, doggie?" She asked.

"Doggie? I ain't no dog!" It said looking at her in the eyes. Kyoko squealed at hearing him speak and launched her body away from hism When she was no longer pressed up against him, she could see his whole body. He was big for a dog and was wearing….swimming trunks?

"Are you okay?" The dog asked standing up. "I'm glad I got to you in time."

Kyoko couldn't respond. All she could manage was to stare in shocked disbelief at the talking animal in front of you.

"Would you stop looking at me like that," he said to her. "I'm not going to eat you. I just want to make sure you're okay." He stared back at her and cocked his head waiting for a response from her. After a minute, he dropped his head and gave a sigh. He looked back up at her before speaking again. "I'm going to walk towards you so I can check to see if you're hurt."

When Kyoko jumped away from him initially, she only scrambled a few feet away. He closed the distance between them in only a few moments even while walking slowly. Kyoko stared in fear as he approached but closed her eyes once he got close enough to touch her. She felt his cold, dog nose against her forehead. It traveled to her cheek and down to her neck. Once his nose got to her neck, it startled tickling her. She giggled at the tickle and pulled away while opening her eyes to look back up at him.

"Did that tickle?" He asked her. Kyoko nodded her head in response. The lips on the dog's mouth pulled back into a smile. At least, it would be a smile if dogs could smile. "I'm going to tickle you until you talk. Tickling will be your punishment for being so afraid of me," he told her before diving his head into her body using his nose to tickle her all over.

Kyoko squealed at the ferocity of his attack. She didn't squeal out of fear but out of pure, child delight of playing with someone. It wasn't long before she was laughing with tears streaming down her face. "Stop," she managed to get out between peals of laughter.

"Not unless you promise to not be scared anymore," the talking dog told her.

"I promise, I promise!" She yelled begging for him to stop. He pulled back hearing her promise and sat on his hind legs while she recovered from his tickle attack.

Kyoko laid on the ground panting staring up at the animal in front of her. His fur was pure black all over. He had a handsome face with a long snout and green eye. His ears looked too big for him, like a puppy. Looking down at his paws, they were ginormous. Kyoko had a feeling he still had a lot of growing to do.

She wasn't afraid of him anymore. He saved her from hitting the rock and clearly had no intention of eating her. "Thank you for saving me," she told him once she could speak again.

"You're welcome," he told her. "I'm glad you didn't get hurt. I was terrified when I saw you tumbling down the hill heading for that rock. Thankfully, I managed to shift. I wouldn't have reached you in time otherwise." The dog looked down his back and sighed, "does it really take a life threatening situation for it to work?"

Kyoko stared in confusion at his words. "Shift?" She asked him.

"Ah," the dog said looking back at her. He looked uncomfortable under her stare.

Suddenly, the light around him shimmered. Kyoko had to blink as he went fuzzy in her vision for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, sitting in front of her with his legs sprawled out in front of him was the boy she had locked eyes with earlier. "It's you!" Kyoko gasped.

"Yeah," the boy said uncomfortably while rubbing his neck with one hand. "Please promise you won't tell anyone?" He said looking at her pitifully.

"I won't tell anyone!" She quickly promised. She didn't know what was going on, but this was as close as she'd ever come to seeing real magic. "Are you a fairy's dog?" She asked him excitedly.

"What?!" He asked her shocked. "What's up with calling me a dog? And I certainly have nothing to do with fairies," he told her.

Kyoko deflated at hearing he wasn't related to fairies, "then what are you?" She asked him.

"I'm a…something else," he said trying not to answer her.

"Why won't you tell me?" Kyoko asked sitting closer to him.

"Because I'm not supposed to tell people," he told her avoiding her gaze.

"Okay," she said determinedly. "I won't ask if you're not supposed to tell. But we can still play, right?" She asked him.

He looked at her and smiled. "Of course," he told her. "I'm actually practicing my shifting ability right now. I'm not very good at it."

"Oh, but you did it just now," she said to him.

"Yeah, I think it worked because you were in danger," he responded.

"Then all I have to do is be in danger again, right?" She asked and got up without giving him a chance to respond. Before she could take a step towards the stream she felt a tug on the collar of her neck as she was pulled back down to the ground next to the boy.

"I don't know what you were about to do, but don't even think about it. Even if you were in danger, I don't know if I could get it to work again," he lectured her.

"Okay," she responded disappointedly. "I was hoping to help." She thought for a few moments before coming up with another idea. "Can I cheer you on?" She asked him excitedly.

He smiled at her again. "That would be great," he told her getting up. He helped her to her feet and told her to stand back a little bit to give him running room.

"Why do you need to run?" She asked him.

"It's the easiest way to shift. In order to shift, my blood has to be pumping through my whole body. Running naturally causes that to happen. When I have better control, I'll be able to do it while standing still," he explained to her.

"Huh," she responded taking in what he said. "Then run your heart out!" She yelled at him. "You can do it….ah, um," she trailed off realizing she didn't know his name.

"I'm Corn," he told her realizing what she stumbled over. "What's your name?"

"Corn? That's an odd name. I'm Kyoko," she told him. He said his name with a strange accent giving her a hard time understanding what he said.

He looked at her a bit deflated, "Not Corn, Kurn."

"Kurn?" She repeated back to him still trying to figure out his accent.

He grimaced at her pronunciation. "That's even worse, let's just stick with Corn," he said getting into a running stance.

"Okay, you can do it, Corn!" She cheered as he took off running. She watched as the light shimmered around him one more time. She blinked again because the sight disturbed her eyes. When she opened them again, he was still a boy.

"Darn it," he yelled.

"Corn, are you okay?" She asked running to him.

"I'm fine," he said sighing. "I just can't figure out how to shift all the time."

"How about we race?" She asked him. "You said you have to have blood pumping, right? Maybe it's not pumping fast enough. But if we race, you'll have to run faster."

"You do realize I'm older than you right?" He said looking down at her. "I'm 10. You're what 5? You're no match for me."

Kyoko puffed up her chest in insult. "I'm 6, thank you very much, and I can run quite fast."

Corn smiled at her and laughed. "My apologies, Kyoko. I didn't realize you were such a big girl."

"That's right," she huffed at him.

"Let's race," he told her.

They stood side by side ready to take off. Corn counted down from five and they both took off at "one".

Kyoko ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but Corn was too fast. He kept just barely ahead of her with an infuriating grin on his face as he looked behind him at her. He was pumping his arms while running and she swiped at his elbow as it got closer to her in her frustration. He laughed at her attempt which egged her on to try again. They ran along the brook with Kyoko swiping at his elbows trying to catch one as they both laughed at the game.

Suddenly, Corn shimmered in front of her and she was no longer swiping at elbows but a tail! She stopped running in surprise. "You did it!" She shrieked at him. He turned to look at her in his dog form with a proud look on his face. She embraced him in a tight hug in her excitement.

"It was thanks to your help," he told her. "Would you like a ride before I change back?" He asked her while returning her hug by putting his head over her shoulder and putting pressure.

"Like on your back?" She asked tentatively pulling away from the hug.

"Yup," he said.

"I'd love to!" She screeched. He lowered his body while standing next to her so she could climb up. His fur was as soft as when she first touched him. She snuggled her face into his back in her excitement.

"Be careful with my fur," he called back to her and took off at a run. Kyoko clutched the fur in her hands and looked up as the meadow sped by. She laughed in glee at the experience.

Corn ran for a few minutes before suddenly shifting back into a boy mid run. They fell with Kyoko on top of Corn giggling. "That was so much fun," she told him.

Corn looked back at her and smiled. "Want to try again?" He asked her.

"Yes!" She yelled in delight.

Over the next couple of weeks, the two met up secretly to play and for Corn to practice his shifting. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Kyoko learned the reason for him wearing adult swimming trunks. His clothes were too small for his dog form. They would rip when he shifted. So he wore his dad's swimming trunks that he could tie to fit him as a boy and were big enough to handle his dog form. When Corn told her that, Kyoko blushed realizing he would be naked after shifting if he wore his own clothes.

They did more than just practice shifting. Corn was athletic and showed Kyoko tricks he knew how to do like backflips. He helped her try to learn how to do it but she couldn't get the hang of it without him holding her while she tried. They also talked. Kyoko told him about her mom and the Fuwa's. Corn only talked a little bit about himself. Kyoko figured that was because he wasn't supposed to talk about whatever magic world he came from.

All too soon, their last day together came. It came unexpectedly for Kyoko. She arrived at the meadow on a cloudy morning. It would likely rain later, but she found Corn by the brook all the same. She greeted him with a hug like she had become accustomed to. He seemed a little sad but they played their usual games.

When it started to rain, Kyoko told Corn she had to head back.

"Wait," he said grabbing her hand. His face looked sad like when she first saw him this morning. "I can't come back tomorrow," he told her.

"That's okay, we can meet up the next day," Kyoko said with her heart sinking. Something in his voice told her she didn't like where this was going.

Corn shook his head at her words. "No, I can't come back. My father and I are going back home. We were only visiting the area," he told her.

Kyoko's heart tightened at his words. "When will I see you again?" She asked fearing his answer.

He shook his head again. "You won't see me again," he responded forlornly. He grabbed her other hand and held them both. "Kyoko, you have to promise never to tell anyone about me. My family would be in a lot of trouble if people found out about us."

Tears filled Kyoko's eyes hearing him say they couldn't play anymore. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. But please, can't we meet again?" She said to him pleadingly.

"No," he whispered to her. "I can't come back here and you can't come to where I live," he told her.

Kyoko's little body started to shiver from the cold of the rain and sadness. Corn pulled her into a hug and held her. She hugged him back and cried as the rain came down.

For the first time, she realized his body was abnormally warm and he smelled of pine. They had played together almost every day since the first time she met him, but she never paid attention to his body heat or scent before. The rain was cold against her back, but her front was toasty against Corn. She hugged him tighter wishing she could hold onto his warmth forever. His body physically warmed her up, but he also brought joy to her life that wasn't there before.

He pulled back from the hug and held Kyoko by her shoulders. "Thank you for helping me practice shifting. I'll always remember and appreciate your help," he told her. He reached down and kissed her on the forehead. Kyoko blushed from the contact and felt a warmth spread from where he kissed her down her head, into her chest and stomach, and spread into her arms and legs. It came with a tingly sensation.

She looked at him surprised. He smiled down at her, "you'll always be my special friend. Now run home before you get cold again," he told her enclosing her right hand in both of his. He left something in her hand and closed her fingers around it.

She stared into his eyes realizing that he intentionally caused the tingling and warmth to spread through her body. It was still raining, but she felt as if the sun was kissing her skin with its heat. "I'll always remember you, Corn," She told him. He nodded at her, and she turned and ran. She had to run before her heart gave out. Otherwise, she would turn around and go back to him and beg him not to leave.

Even though she was only 6, she understood it was time for them to say goodbye. She loved Corn too much not to respect what he said to her. She held back the tears as she ran. She wouldn't cry anymore. Corn was the last person she cried in front of and she would use the strength he gave her to not cry.

By the time Kyoko got home, the cold from the rain was starting to seep into her body. Whatever Corn did, had worn off. She reached the porch of the Fuwa home and heard a crack come from her right hand. She opened her tightly closed fist and saw a blue stone laying shattered in her hand. She didn't remember picking it up, but she must have held it so tightly it cracked.

Kyoko looked back from the direction she came running from and felt a pang of sadness on her chest she didn't understand. She stared out into the rain wondering what game she played today that had her out in the rain. From inside, Mrs. Fuwa called for her. Kyoko turned to run inside letting the shattered blue stone fall to the porch and be forgotten.

* * *

Sorry for not posting last week. I had every intention to when I posted the last chapter but realized the following day I was exhausted and needed a break. I didn't start to feel recovered until Friday and decided not to push it and wait until this week to post. I updated my profile to say the next chapter would be coming out this Friday, May 1st.

So why did I post today you ask? Because what I intended to be the beginning of the next chapter ended up being a full chapter on its own. I don't want what comes next to overshadow this memory. It's important for you all to digest this portion before diving into the continuation of the evening. Plus, I probably wouldn't get to read your reactions to this sweet memory as your focus would be absorbed by everything that comes next. It means an extra chapter this week.

Don't worry. I won't overwork myself this week like I did a couple of weeks ago. I was exhausted because I wrote a lot for Under the Rain and In Her Tower. But I'm putting In Her Tower on hold until this evening is finished for Under the Rain. As several of you mentioned will the story has kicked up a notch with the ball. It's the big finale of her first trimester. The intensity will continue next chapter.

I'm going to keep my profile updated for when the new chapter will be released. So next time I suddenly need a break you'll have somewhere to check to see what's going on. Of course, I update in discord as well. Anyone part of the chat finds out when I expect to post if it's off of schedule.

Thanks so much for all your comments. Last chapter might have been the most commented on. I reread them all before posting a new chapter to see if there are any questions that I need to answer. Feel free to ask anything. I'll answer, or try to at least.

Thanks for reading!

-Besma0003


	28. Maddog aka

Ren pushed through the crowds as fast as he could startling several people. When he finally reached the door, he pulled it open and was immediately hit by the fresh air as the door closed on the citrus smoke. In the fresh air, HIS scent clung. _He's got her._

He took off in a run to his right where the scent was coming from the strongest. HIS scent was mixed in with Kyoko's. The idea of his old enemy capturing someone he cared for spurred Ren to run as fast as he could. But his fastest wasn't fast enough, at least not in human form.

Ren grunted as he realized he would have to shift. The weather was blessedly giving a temporary reprieve from the rain but Ren heard the rumble in the skies threatening more. Once the rain started again, he would lose the trail and Kyoko along with it. He couldn't risk that.

To find Kyoko, he had to shift. There was just one problem with that. He hadn't been able to shift since he was a preteen. He never mastered it and gave up on it at an early age. It would take a miracle to manage it now.

He stopped running briefly to take the contacts out of his eyes. He didn't wear them to see better, but to change his eye color to make it more difficult for people to connect him to his father. If he shifted while wearing them, he wasn't sure what the consequences would be. Would they get stuck in his eye or just partially cover his eye irritating him? Either way, it would be a nuisance. It was safer to just take them out.

Once the contacts were out, he threw them on the ground and kept running. _Running is the best start to shifting for a novice, _he thought as he remembered the training his dad gave him as a kid. The best shifting Ren ever managed was when he played with a little girl in an isolated meadow. For some reason, it was a lot easier with her around.

Mentally, he took himself back to those days playing by the brook. The first time he shifted in her presence, it was to save her. She was falling down the hill and was going to hit a boulder. Fear gripped his heart seeing her trajectory and he sprung into action shifting on his way to her.

The need to protect someone allowed him to shift easily at that time. Ren thought about Kyoko and the fate she would suffer at HIS hands if he didn't get her back.

As his legs continued to pound the pavement, he felt the rush of heat spread through his body as the shifting process started. The heat started in his core, spread to each limb, and ended in his fingers and toes. With the heat completely spread through his body, he was running on all four limbs now.

He almost stumbled from the onslaught to his senses. While in human form, his sense of smell was better than the average human's. But in beast form, his hearing and smelling abilities jumped above even the best of canines. He also developed a sixth sense. One that allowed him to see the supernatural. There wasn't as much supernatural in the world as humans feared. In fact, there was very little of it. There were only a few species other than humans and none of them prayed on humans. Some would attack if threatened. Ghosts were a thing but didn't usually stick around. It took a lot of regret for someone not to move on.

He continued to run through the streets following the scent of Kyoko and her captor. His fur was black as night allowing him to easily blend into the shadows. No one saw him as he went. When he approached denser areas, he jumped to the rooftops to continue his chase.

Even though he was running as fast as he could, Kyoko was nowhere in sight. Her captor must have shifted as well in order to stay ahead of him. Ren heard the whispers carried by the wind of people freaking out about seeing a white beast running carrying a person. Of course, everyone doubted what they saw and dismissed the 'tricks' their eyes were playing on them.

Ren followed Kyoko's scent into a rich neighborhood. He had to be a little more careful to stay in the shadows here. A richer neighborhood meant more lights on the street and more space between homes.

It would be better to shift back into his human form to get through here, but he couldn't without risk. One, he didn't know if he'd be able to shift back into a beast if the need arose. And two, his clothes ripped when he shifted. If he turned back into a human now, he would be naked. Better to be seen as a beast causing people to run away than to be seen naked and get arrested for public indecency.

So he continued to follow Kyoko's trail but at a slower pace. Before long, her scent led him to an old home. The upkeep was lacking compared to the rest of the neighborhood, but still better than homes in other parts of the city. There were no lights lighting up the yard or streaming out through the windows. But by moonlight, Ren could see that the front door was open and there were figures all over the yard. As he walked closer to the house, he could see what they were. _Gnomes. Why would he take her somewhere he couldn't be violent?_

Ren quietly made his way to the front door careful not to wake the sleeping statues. Gnomes could be a nuisance once awoken. The stairs of the front porch creaked as he walked up them. He stood in the doorway looking into the dark house knowing Kyoko was there with her captor by the strength of their scents in the air.

"Kuon, you made it," he heard from within as a kerosene lamp on a table was lit lighting up his adversary's human face. He saw Kyoko knocked out laying on the ground behind the man. A blanket was laid out under her. _Why show her that kind of care? He's been murdering humans with no qualms. _He cautiously took a few steps forward into the house.

"Kuon, why don't you change back into human form? Conversing in beast form takes a lot of energy. I'm sure you saw the gnomes outside. We can't fight here. There are some clothes in the room on your left that should fit," the man in front of him said.

"Why?" Ren asked not understanding what his game was.

"We'll get to that. Go change first," he responded sitting down in a chair at the table.

"I'm not letting Kyoko out of my sight. I'll talk like this," Ren said with a growl.

The man sighed before saying, "the clothes are on an end table right next to the door. You can reach in to grab them while keeping an eye on her and change in this room if that's what you want."

Ren didn't want to treat this like some casual conversation, but he could transform back at any moment thanks to his lack of control. At least this way he would have clothes to wear. He walked over to the opening he saw in the wall, turned back into a human, reached his arm in for the clothes, and got dressed quickly. It was just sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it was more than enough.

Once dressed, he walked over to the table eyeing the white-haired man in front of him.

"Kuon, it's been a long time. You've grown so much," he said looking up at him from his seat. "Take a seat and we'll talk."

Ren grabbed the chair in front of him and pulled it out to sit down. This confrontation was not going how he expected.

"The look on your face, you half expected to find her a bloody mess by the time you got here, didn't you?" The white-haired man said to him.

Ren took a deep breath before replying, "what do you want, Rick?"

"No room for small chat, then?" He asked leaning back into his chair. "Very well. For the longest time, I wanted revenge on you for getting my family killed."

"I figured," Ren responded bluntly.

"Well, I don't want that anymore. When I saw this young lady walking with you whom you've marked, I realized I had the perfect opportunity for revenge. But my heart couldn't get into it as much as I expected. I realized I was happy for you rather than filled with jealousy and hate," Rick told him.

"Happy for me? Marked? I never marked her," Ren was really confused. What was there to be happy about, he never marker her, and why wouldn't he hate him?

"That's right. You're going to experience fatherhood. It's one of life's greatest gifts. I'm filled with joy at the idea of you having a child. Of course you've marked the mother of your child. Congrats!" His smile looked genuine which only confused Ren even more.

"Um, what are you talking about? I'm not going to be a dad and I never marked," Ren told him. _How did the conversation end up like this?_

"I would say no need to hide it from me, but you look genuinely confused. Kuon, the girl is pregnant, and her scent has the unmistakable Sacred Beast tinge to it. Don't you remember how Tina smelled when she was pregnant with Madeline?" Rick asked him.

Ren's eye widened in shock as a series of events flooded his mind: the night they had sex, her smelling even more intoxicating when they met again two months later, her throwing up on him, her need to constantly eat, how she was sick the day they were supposed to start work together, and yes, she had the same pregnant smell as Tina. _That's what it was! I knew there was something different about her scent when we met again, but I couldn't figure it out. She's pregnant!…with my child._ It felt like his blood went cold as the realization sunk in. He looked with vacant eyes at Rick who was watching him.

"I'm rather excited to be the one who got to inform you. But you don't look excited," Rick told him.

"I…uh…we used a condom…I didn't think…," Ren had a hard time forming a coherent thought in his shock.

"I would say you should practice your condom putting on skills, but there's no point now. You can never get anyone pregnant again. Although, you can still get STD's. So it would be a good idea to make sure you know how to put a condom on properly," Rick added as an afterthought.

Ren collapsed his head to his hands with his elbows supporting him on his knees. _How the hell did I end up with Rick lecturing me about condoms?!_

"Well, now that that's established, let's move on. I don't like being around gnomes for too long. The scent of the blood on me could wake them at any time." Rick shifted in his seat looking uncomfortable. "As I was saying, I found myself feeling happy for your fatherhood." Ren could only manage to nod numbly in response. " It forced me to realize it wasn't you I've hated all these years. You were like a little brother to me. I love you just as much as I did back then," Rick whispered looking down at the table.

"It was myself I've hated this whole time. It was I who was unable to protect my family. I who wasn't there when they needed me most. I'm at fault for their death, not you. Well, me and humans," Rick's tone changed to sinister with his last sentence. "It was humans who killed my Tina and Madeline. It is humans I am going to take revenge on," he told Ren looking up at him.

"At first, my goal when I came to this city was to get your attention and have a showdown. I tried kidnapping children, but you work homicide. I didn't even pop up on your radar. Before I had a chance to decide what to do with the kids, someone found them. I changed tactics to killing people around the city. It took a while, but that finally got your attention. I've made some… acquaintances while I've been waiting for you, Kuon. They call me Maddog. They have no idea how accurate the title is," Rick chuckled.

Ren kept silent waiting for him to continue. The conversation overwhelmed him. All he could do was listen to what was being said.

"My new… friends, we'll say, have big plans for this city. Ones that will cause chaos and turmoil. It sounds like a good place to start to bring humans to their knees. I'm putting my killing spree on hold while I help them," Rick told him.

"Why are you telling me this?" He couldn't make sense of what Rick wanted from him.

"Because I'm torn," Rick said bluntly. "Not about revenge on humans. That part is obviously something I want. But I'm torn what to do about that little woman behind me and the child within. "On the one hand, I'm happy for you. On the other, I want to protect the little babe from the curse of being born a Sacred Beast."

"Curse?" Ren asked confused. "Being a Sacred Beast isn't a curse. It's honorable."

Rick barked a laugh before replying, "Honorable? Kuon, you've drunk the kool-aid deeply. How is being punished with limited fertility honorable? How is hiding our identity from humans who would hunt us for sport honorable? How is watching our race dwindle to nothing honorable? No, Kuon. There is nothing honorable about being a Sacred Beast. We are a cursed race. God hates us more than any other species because we failed to keep one snake out of the garden of his precious humans. We were punished alongside them, but our punishment was worse." Rick stared him down with his words and white eyes.

Ren had to wonder about what he said as he stared at a man he used to highly respect. A man who strove to help those around him all his life up until his family was brutally murdered. The event changed him into the man before him: an immortal Sacred Beast. Rick's irises and hair were dyed white from pure rage and he hadn't aged a day since back then. Not only was he physically different, but his mind was much darker. And he wasn't wrong. Sacred Beasts struggled to survive, much more than humans.

"To get back to your little one," Rick said sending a fresh jolt through Ren as he was reminded that Kyoko was pregnant with his child. "Why should he or she have to suffer the fate of our species? Wouldn't it be better to save it from such an evil world and end its life while it's still innocent?"

"No," Ren breathed in horror as he realized Rick was talking about killing his child. It would make sense if Rick was still trying to get revenge on him. But to murder a child for this reason? Murder them to save them? It was madness! Not only that, it was his child they were talking about!

Ren stood up from his chair swiftly knocking it back ready to take Rick on, but Rick stayed seated.

"Calm down, Ren," he told him. "If your anger flares too much, you could wake the gnomes. And neither of us want that," Rick said.

Ren kept himself still trying to cool the anger boiling inside him. Gnomes were the last thing he needed right now.

"I told you, I'm conflicted. I both want to see your child grow and save it from this world. It puts me in a bind I don't know how to deal with," Rick said getting up from his chair and walking over to Kyoko. He stayed a few feet away from her, thankfully. If he had gotten any closer to her, Ren would have pounced. Gnomes be damned.

"You can help me solve my dilemma, Kuon," Rick said turning to look back at him. "Let's have a competition. If I win, I kill this woman and the child. If you win, you get to live happily with your family."

"Her life isn't a game to be gambled over," Ren said seething through his teeth.

"It's not just her life. Remember, I still want revenge on all humans. If I win, it won't just be your child and its mother I kill. So here's the deal, if you can stop what my friends and I are planning for this city, you can live your life as you see fit. But if you can't stop us, I'm coming for your family," Rick said with a threat in his voice.

Ren's control broke with the last statement. He lunged at Rick morphing into his beast form ripping his borrowed clothes. Rick morphed faster and was already a towering white beast when Ren reached him. Rick was an exceptionally large Sacred Beast, even bigger than Ren's father. It was unlikely he could overpower him especially since he wasn't used to this form. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

At least, it wouldn't have if Rick had stuck around. Instead of meeting Ren in combat, Rick dodged around him and ran out the front door. Ren chased him to the door snarling only to be reminded of the gnomes as they started to crack awake. _Shit!_

He turned abruptly and ran to Kyoko. "Kyoko, Kyoko, wake up!" He yelled as he nuzzled under her to get her on his back. It would be a lot easier to carry her if she was conscious. He didn't know how he was going to make it through a small army of gnomes without her falling off. "Kyoko, Kyoko!" He yelled again as he heard the chittering of the gnomes who were waking up. The sound of stone cracking had stopped which wasn't a good sign. It meant they were already all awake.

From his back, Kyoko started to stir. "Kyoko!" He yelled again hoping she would wake up. A few gnomes stepped inside the house. They were ugly little creatures once awake. They had fangs for teeth and drooled all over the place.

"What's going on?" He heard her say.

"Thank God, you're awake. Hold on!" Ren said as he lunged for the door. His movement caused her to almost fall back, but she held on. The gnomes shrieked with fury and jumped at him as he pushed by. "Kick them off!" Ren told her right before her foot hit the head of one.

Outside, the sight was as bad as he feared. The gnomes were all awake and furious over being disturbed. Upon seeing him break through the door, a chorus of shrieks spread across the yard. "Fight back as best you can!" Ren yelled to Kyoko as he rushed forward dodging gnomes in his way and doing his best to dodge those who jumped at him too. Kyoko was forced to kick and hit the ones he couldn't dodge. He could hear ripping as her beautiful dress from the evening was shredded from the fangs and talons of the gnomes.

It wasn't long before he was past the last of them and they were clear. The gnomes chased them to the edge of the yard but stopped there as Ren continued to run down the street with Kyoko on his back.

"Corn, what were those things?" Kyoko asked him.

"Gnomes, they hate violence and become extremely violent themselves if a living being near them gets physical or is full of anger and hatred.

The name she used for him sunk in and he came to a halt almost pitching her forward off of him. "Did you just call me Corn?" He asked looking behind him at her on his back. As her scent settled into his nostrils, he realized there was more than one thing he failed to realize about her.

* * *

Welp! So much information in one chapter. I listened to a podcast this past week that really helped me develop Rick's character. He would have been extremely bland, and I don't know what I would have done for their confrontation. But giving him personality allowed the chapter to write itself.

I hope you all like this development! I've been planning most of it since the beginning. Just the gnomes and Rick's personality were last minute additions.

This chapter probably left you with a ton of questions. Some I have plans to answer in story. Other's I may not realize need answering. So if there's anything you're confused about, ask! I'll answer it later in story when appropriate. Or if it's something I failed completely on, I will answer it at the bottom of a chap.

I know one question everyone probably has is why Ren didn't recognize her initially. That will be answered, probably next chap.

Thanks for your comments! As I was rereading them before posting, I realized I forgot to add something important thanks to someone guessing at it in their comment. Thank you for reminding me! I was so excited about the transformation about Rick's character that detail completely slipped my mind.

-Besma0003


	29. Debrief

Week 12

"Of course, what else would I call you, Corn?" Kyoko told Ren as he stood in shock disbelief.

He panted trying to catch his breath from the escape from the gnomes and from trying not to panic as the term she used for him sunk in.

"Corn?" She called from his back concerned. "Do you not recognize me?"

"No, I recognize you," Ren breathed out. _In more ways than one. _She was THE Kyoko. The little girl he played with as a child. The woman he had drunk sex with. The woman he impregnated. The woman he worked with on occasion. _And the woman I'm developing feelings for. _This one woman had come into his life in so many different ways he thought she was multiple people. But no, across his life, it was always Kyoko. Just her.

The information was overwhelming. He didn't know how to process it all right now. So he wouldn't. He would focus on getting her to safety. The rain started back up as he stood there.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "They didn't get you too bad, did they?"

"No, mostly just scratches and some bruises. My head does hurt a bit from being knocked out I think," she told him.

"Let's get you to a doctor then," he said starting his run back up as the rain was coming down hard. It wasn't a good idea to take her to the hospital. They couldn't explain to the hospital that she was attacked by gnomes. And he couldn't take her in while he looked like a beast or naked. The best option was to go to his Chief's house. They knew a doctor who made house calls.

"Okay," she said settling into the fur on his back. He felt her head press against his neck. It was satisfying having her on his back again. He didn't realize how much he missed his childhood friend until now. He enjoyed the feeling of her body heat reminding him that she was there.

_Body heat? Isn't she a little too warm for a human? _"Kyoko?" Ren called to her. "Kyoko? Are you awake?" He called back to her again as he ran.

She didn't respond causing him to run faster. She was running a fever and passed out. He needed to get her help ASAP.

* * *

The hall was evacuated due to the smoke. Since it smelled like citrus, Rori didn't believe there was a fire, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Most of the ball guests left after leaving the building. The ones who stayed were just anxious to hear the drama and gossip about what happened. He made sure the police were keeping the perimeter far from the building. The last thing they needed was random people hearing details of what happened.

Rori couldn't say for sure, but he believed Rick had something to do with the smoke. Canines, Sacred Beasts included, don't like the smell of citrus, and it can mask their ability to smell. That would have been the only way for Rick to get close to Ren. And as far as Rori knew, Ren was missing. No one was able to get a hold of him.

Lori came running up to him in a panic. "Brother! Kyoko is missing as well!" He yelled as soon as he got within earshot.

"Damn it!" He said in response. He was afraid of that. Kyoko was Ren's date for the evening. What better way to get back at him than to take his date?

"Rika and Kanae were calling her over and over until one of your officers picked up the phone. Her phone, wallet, and purse were all left inside. She would have made contact by now if she could," Lori told him clearly fearful for his young employee. "I can't believe she got wrapped up in this mess," he muttered under his breath, but Rori still heard it.

An officer came running up from his other side holding a bundle. "Sir, I found what you requested. You were right, there was a set of ripped clothes in an alley a block away. How is it relevant to what happened?" The young man asked confused.

"Don't worry about that. I'll take the clothes. You get back to your post," the officer handed him the clothes and ran back to help with keeping people away from the building.

"Ren's clothes," Lori said looking at the bundle in Rori's hands. Rori nodded as he rummaged through the pile. He found Ren's wallet and phone. That confirmed it. Rick was here, and Ren went after him in beast form. Rori was a bit surprised that he managed to shift, but he was glad. He couldn't take Rick on without his full capabilities.

"Lori, take his stuff and head to my home," Rori said handing him the items in his hands. "Ren knows to come to my place in case something like this happens. That's where he'll head when he's ready. And call Ten. He's probably gonna need medical attention."

"I'm on it," Lori responded taking the bundle and heading off.

* * *

Rori stayed for a couple of hours on the scene but eventually left it for his detectives to pick it over. They didn't need his help for that and would report back what they found. While Rick was definitely involved, he also didn't pull this stunt off on his own. Hopefully, they would find some clues about who helped him.

It was a 30 minute drive back to his home where his brother was waiting for him. Lori was waiting inside with Ten. "Thanks for coming, Ten," he told her.

"Of course," she said. "I love that boy too, and I understand the circumstances. Both spare rooms are ready in case Ren and his date need serious help. But if it's too bad, we won't have a choice but to take them to the hospital. There's only so much I can do here, and I'm not an ER doctor," she told them making sure they understood the limits of her capabilities.

"I know. I appreciate whatever you can do," he responded.

They heard a howl coming from outside and all three raced for the front door. They knew it was Ren saying he was coming.

When they first got outside, they couldn't see him through the downpour. But after a minute, he came into view with Kyoko on his back. Ren didn't look injured. _How did he get her back without a fight? _But the details could wait, they needed to get Kyoko inside. She didn't look responsive.

"She's running a fever and unconscious. She said her head was hurting from being knocked out right before she passed out." Ren said as they took her off of his back.

"My goodness! It's Kyoko!" Ten said.

"You know her?" Lori said surprised.

"She's my patient. Quickly Lori, help me get her in," Doctor Jelly Woods, aka Ten, said as they carried her inside to a guest bedroom.

"I don't need any help to do her exam," Jelly told the men. "You go talk amongst yourselves," she said shooing them out.

The three men stared at the bedroom door as it closed, blocking them from seeing what was going on. "Ren, there are spare clothes for you in the bathroom. Why don't you go change back, dry off, and put some clothes on," Rori told him.

"Thanks," Ren said vacantly.

Rori and Lori glanced at each other at his reply and walked to the living room to wait for his return.

"What do you think happened?" Lori asked as they sat down. "He's pretty shaken."

"I don't know. But he somehow got her back without fighting Rick. I can't imagine how that happened." Rori responded.

"I can't believe he still holds what happened against Ren. He was just a kid! There was no way for him to know what those people were up to," Lori said frustrated.

"I know," Rori responded. "And now others are paying the price for his anguish."

Lori pulled out his phone and started texting. "I'm letting Kanae and Rika know we found Kyoko. I don't want them worrying all night."

"Good idea, we'll let Ren give them the details once Ten tells us how she is and he tells us what happened," Rori said. Lori nodded in response.

Ren walked back into the room and took a seat on the sofa opposite the twins. "Ren, what happened?" Rori asked him.

Ren looked up at him with confusion and pain in his eyes as he said, "I don't even know where to begin."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Lori encouraged. "What happened when you left the building and started chasing after her?"

"The beginning?" Ren asked vaguely then shook his head. "That's not the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Rori asked him trying to understand. "We already know why Rick is after you. We understand that part."

"No, you don't," Ren said shaking his head. "I still don't fully get that part to be honest."

"What do you consider the beginning?" Lori asked him trying to help him find somewhere to start his tale of the evening.

"...14 years ago," Ren said after thinking for a moment. Lori and Rori looked at each other confused. As far as they knew, there was nothing significant that happened in Ren's life 14 years ago.

"What happened?" Lori said again trying to get him to talk.

"I met a little girl who encouraged me, helped me to shift," Ren told them. Rori lifted an eyebrow as he vaguely remembered Kuu saying something about that. If he remembered correctly, the girl was given a stone enchanted to make her forget her encounter with the shapeshifting boy.

"What does the girl have to do with Rick?" Rori asked him.

"I met her again," Ren said leaning his arms on his knees and talking to the floor. "The night you excused me from attending the party. I got drunk and left the house seeking some type of relief from the nightmares. I met her by chance. She was seeking relief from heartbreak. We used each other for comfort."

"Ren, I thought you knew better by now," Rori gently said to him.

"I do," Ren said shaking his head at the floor. "We used protection. But it doesn't matter. She still got pregnant. That's why Rick took her because she's pregnant with my child," he looked up at them white as a ghost clearly struggling with the information he was telling them.

"Wait, Ren, what are you talking about? He took Kyoko, I thought. That was definitely who was your date tonight and who you brought back," Lori asked confused.

"Kyoko is pregnant with my child, and she's the one I shifted in front of as a kid," Rori and Lori both sucked in their breath as they heard the connection.

"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Rori asked him. They could have done something to protect her once they realized Rick was in town.

"I didn't know," Ren pleaded to him. "I didn't know," he said looking back down at his hands. "The night we slept together I knew there was something familiar about her, but I was so drunk I couldn't place it. When I met her again for work, it was the same day the stink bomb went off in the building and I couldn't smell anything. When I finally got my sense of smell back, I recognized her as the woman I slept with but completely forgot that something had been familiar about her and never thought of it again. She doesn't recognize me from that night. She has no idea. The only reason I know she's pregnant is because of Rick."

"Hold on a second, you lost me there. How does Rick fit into you finding out she's pregnant? How reliable is this information?" Lori asked him.

"That's where tonight's story comes in," Ren said looking back up at them. "I followed the scent and managed to shift. I remembered it was easier when I needed to protect someone and focused on the danger Kyoko was in. I followed her and Rick's scents to an abandoned gnome house."

"Nasty buggers," Lori said under his breath.

"You've seen them?" Rori asked surprised. He heard of them but never saw one before.

"Oh yeah, when I was still a rookie reporter," Lori said looking over at him. "A few real ones made their home among fake, store-bought ones at a house I was looking into. A cult was believed to be operating out of it. The cultist leader got violent while I was staking out the house. I watched them crack to life and smash through the window. I heard screaming and immediately ran to check if everyone was okay. When I looked through the window, the woman the cultist leader had been beating was huddled in a corner terrified. The man was dead with two gnome statues next to him covered in his blood. The poor woman needed psychiatric help afterward."

Rori was surprised. He never heard that story from his brother before.

"Sounds right," Ren said pulling their attention back to him. "They hide away among man-made fake gnomes and come to life when there's violence or extreme anger in their territory. They often save the life of the victim while killing the one who was being violent. They have no sense of self and are purely reactionary creatures."

"And this house was covered in them?" Rori asked.

"The yard was," Ren corrected him. "There weren't any in the house where Rick was waiting. But the house was still their territory, so we had to be careful."

"We?" Lori asked picking up on that detail.

Ren nodded his head. "Rick didn't want to fight. He just wanted to talk."

"About what?" Rori asked confused. The last they knew of the man, he swore revenge against Ren and disappeared until now. That was 20 years ago.

"He wanted to congratulate me on becoming a father," Ren told them.

"How did he know?" Lori asked.

Ren tapped his nose. "Her smell. Women pregnant with Sacred Beast children share in our scent some. I'd forgotten and didn't pick up on it myself. The last time I smelled that I was so small, I barely even remember."

"So there's no doubt, then? She is pregnant and the child is yours?" Rori asked him for clarification.

"Yes," Ren said. "What came next was even stranger. He told me he didn't hate me, but he hated himself for not being there in their time of need. He no longer wants revenge against me."

"That's good, isn't it?" Lori asked.

"No, what he wants to do would make more sense if he still wanted revenge. He doesn't hate me, is glad that I'm going to be a father, but still wants to kill my child anyway," Ren told them.

"That doesn't make any sense," Lori said.

"Why?" Rori asked.

"He says because we're cursed and he doesn't want the baby to have to experience a painful life," Ren responded.

"Cursed? What does he mean? Your race is the most powerful on the planet," Rori questioned.

"I know," Ren said. "But all he sees are the negatives. Because our ancestors failed to keep the snake out of the Garden of Eden, we were given the punishment of only one pregnancy per beast. We can't mate with each other, it has to be with a human. The result has been our race dying out. My line is the last and once that ends, there will be no more Sacred Beasts. Another problem is that we've been hunted throughout history by humans. We've lost numbers that way too."

"So his idea of doing the child a favor is killing him or her before they get to experience anything painful?" Rori asked confused. It was maddening logic.

Ren nodded his head. "But he's not sure. He's challenged me to provide the answer."

"How?" Lori asked concerned.

"He's working with some people to do….something. He didn't explain what. He just said if I stop them, he'll leave Kyoko and the baby alone. If I don't, he's going to come for them," Ren looked at the twin brothers with fear in his eyes. It tore at Rori's heart to see him like this, but he couldn't blame him. Were he in Ren's shoes, he would feel the same.

"So he couldn't make up his mind about what he wanted to do and is forcing you to make it for him?" Lori said making sure he understood. Ren nodded in response. "Cheap bastard," Lori muttered.

"The first step is to make you officially in charge of finding the serial killer. That will allow you to spend your time on him instead of other cases. Do you have any right now that I need to reassign?" Rori asked him.

"I have one, but it's almost done. I can finish the last part before making the arrest. Then all I have to do for it is show up in court," Ren told him.

"Good, that makes it easier," Rori responded.

At that moment, the three men heard the guest bedroom door open and close. Ren quickly got up and walked over to Ten. Rori and Lori looked at each other before getting up and following suit. _Who's gonna break the news to Ten? If Kyoko is her patient, she knows the girl is pregnant, but considering Ren just found out himself, she probably doesn't know Ren is the father._

Before Ren had a chance to ask how she was doing, Ten gave them her report. "She'll be fine," she started with. "Her fever is from a cold probably brought on by being out in the rain in nothing more than a ballroom gown. I've changed her into something more comfortable and checked her over. I'd like her in my office in a day or two to double-check a few things, but there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage," she reported.

"And the baby?" Ren asked worriedly. _Not a smart move_. Rori thought as Ten's eyes became slits as she glared at him.

"How do you know about that?" She asked causing Rori and Lori to take a step back leaving Ren to face her wrath on his own.

"Because I'm the father," Ren said not bothering to explain. _Really, really not using your head right now__._

* * *

Anger grew within Jelly as she looked at the young man in front of her. She loved him dearly, like family. But she had a young woman in the other room who was pregnant and wasn't getting support from the father. She knew damn well Ren was able to support her. What was he doing?

"Ren," she said dangerously. She saw his face stiffen at the sound of her voice. "If you're the father, why is she going through this alone? Why aren't you helping her?" Jelly asked keeping her voice low. She loved him, but that wouldn't stop her from raking him over the coals.

"I… I just found out," he told her.

"Why?" She asked looking for more information. "Why wouldn't she tell you when she found out?"

"She doesn't know it was me she had sex with that night. We were both drunk," Ren fessed up. She didn't like that answer, but at least he was being honest. Plus, the girl was just as responsible for having sex with a stranger as he was.

"So if she doesn't know you're the father, how do you know about the baby?" She asked him.

Rori stepped up to save him at that moment. "It's a complicated story. One that requires sitting to tell. Why don't Lori and I fill you in while he checks on her?" Rori said trying to give Ren an escape from her wrath.

She took a deep breath before replying, "fine. I'll leave it be for now. The baby is fine, by the way. The heartbeat sounds strong. But we will talk more about this after I have the whole story," she promised Ren before following the twins into the living room.

* * *

Ren breathed a sigh of relief now that he was no longer under Jelly's glare. It'd been a long time since he irked her ire. He forgot how scary she could be.

He quickly forgot about her as he stared at the door in front of him and slowly approached it. His hand grabbed the knob and turned, letting him into the room. He closed the door behind him and took the seat next to the bed staring at Kyoko.

He was at a loss for words looking at her. She was his childhood friend. She was the future mother of his child. How did this all happen without him even knowing?

* * *

Yay! I'm on time with posting a chapter this week. I hope you all enjoy this installment of the story. I've noticed some new readers commenting from the beginning of the story, I love the reviews!

I hope this chapter cleared up the question of why Ren didn't recognize her as his childhood friend. If you go back to chapter 6, there is a line in there about something being familiar about her but he couldn't place it. But in that same paragraph, is an inconsistency I had to fix. I was thinking of making Ren's eyesight bad since dog's don't see the greatest, but that's a detail a little too big for me to tackle. In ch. 6, I originally wrote he couldn't see well without his contacts whereas a couple of chaps ago I wrote he didn't need them to see. I'm sticking with the latter and have fixed chap 6 to reflect that his eyesight is fine.

The evening is going to last for another chap or two and then I'll be taking a break from this story. I want to finish up In Her Tower. Plus, I need to plan out Kyoko's second trimester. A lot of big details are missing. My husband is helping me fill in those gaps since what's going to happen aligns with his interests more than mine.

Speaking of trimesters, the second trimester starts at week 13. If I was publishing this as a series, we would be almost at the end of book one. I intend to make each trimester an arc. I know I forgot to label the last few chapters what week it was for Kyoko, but since it was all the same evening I figured it was fine.

Thanks for the comments! They're always encouraging and make me excited to write more.

-Besma0003


	30. They all Know

Ren reached for Kyoko's hand that was laying on top of the blanket that was covering her. An ice pack was on her head to help with her fever. He watched her rest as he held her hand. She looked peaceful in her sleep. None of the scratches he knew she had were visible.

His heart felt bare as he stared at her. He still didn't know what to think about becoming a father. But it was crazy that the woman who was the mother was the one he was developing feelings for. It was almost too much to comprehend.

But it was her connection to him that put her in her current state. Jelly said she would be fine, but it still wasn't okay that she was put in harm's way in the first place. Being connected to him would only continue to put her in danger, and not just her, but the baby too.

He took a deep breath as that thought washed over him. _The baby. My baby_. The idea was completely foreign to him. He wanted to deny the reality but he couldn't sitting so close to her smelling her scent. Kyoko's scent was a mix of vanilla and cinnamon. He found it captivating on its own, but her smell was even more irresistible with the pregnancy. He'd heard before that women who are pregnant are more attractive to their sexual partners because of hormones. He knew that to be a fact now. Smelling her was like an intoxication for him. He couldn't get enough and always wanted more.

But what he wanted didn't matter. It would be best for him to keep his distance from her. If he stayed around her, he wouldn't be able to help becoming closer to her. Getting close would only put her in more danger. Ren thought back to Rick and his words. In order to protect Kyoko and their baby, he would have to uncover Rick's plot and stop him. It was the only way to keep her safe.

Ren got up from his seat next to the bed, let her hand go, and left the room. It tore at his heart to leave her behind, but he needed to talk with the others about what their next step would be. He gently closed the door behind him and walked back to the living room. Rori was telling Jelly about Rick's challenge when he walked back in.

"Oh, Ren," she said upon seeing him. "I'm so sorry. This whole situation is awful." She was sitting on the sofa next to Lori looking at him with pity. "I wish you could enjoy the idea of being a father without having to worry about the safety of Kyoko and your child."

Ren nodded in acknowledgment of her condolences and sat next to Rori on the other couch. "Thanks," was all he said verbally. "But I need to think about what comes next if I'm going to protect her."

"Before we discuss protecting her, we need to discuss the pregnancy," Jelly said taking control of the conversation. All three men in the room looked at her confused. "The poor girl was just kidnapped, saved by a Sacred Beast that was her childhood friend, and doesn't know he's the father of her child. Ren," she said looking directly at him. "I need to know what your intentions are. She's decided to keep the baby. She didn't want an abortion but is looking at adoption."

Jelly's words sunk in leaving Ren feeling cold. "Abortion?" He said chewing over the word.

"That's right," she confirmed. "She doesn't know who the father is and doesn't have a support structure in place. It would have been completely reasonable for her to go that route. Thankfully, she didn't." Jelly told him.

Ren felt a new wave of shock wash over him as he realized he could have lost his child without even knowing he or she existed. And he would have never gotten another chance. His mouth went dry at the idea.

"Like I said, she didn't choose abortion but adoption," Jelly said trying to reassure him. "She might change her mind if she knows you're the father and want to be involved."

Ren stared at Jelly then shook his head. "I don't want her to know," he told her. "She's in danger because of her connection to me. The less she knows, the better."

"I understand and can respect your decision so long as you promise me one thing," Jelly said seriously.

"What is it?" He asked feeling a bit nervous.

"Promise me that you'll support her through this whole process and after the baby is born. It is very easy for pregnant women and postpartum women to fall into depression. The more support they have, the less at risk they are. It is fine that you want to keep your identity a secret, but in return, you must be there for her," she demanded.

Ren thought over her words before replying. "I understand that is my responsibility, but I fear being close to me will put her in more danger," Ren told her.

"She is already in danger. Rick knows who the father of her child is. He isn't going to suddenly not know that," Jelly replied. "Even if you distance yourself from her now, she'll still be in danger. The only difference will be that you won't be around to react quickly when something does happen."

She was right, and he knew it. The real reason he wanted to keep his distance was because he was terrified of becoming closer to her. It was one thing to get close when she was a fling, but another thing entirely when there was a child involved. "I promise," he told Jelly deciding not to run from Kyoko. "I'll be there for her as she goes through this pregnancy and afterward."

"Good," Jelly told him nodding. "With that in mind, I encourage you to tell her the truth eventually. If you plan to stay in her life, she'll find out one way or another. Secrets never stay secret. In the meantime, have your parents begin the process for adoption so they can care for their grandchild. If you aren't ready to own up to Kyoko that you're the father, you aren't ready to be one."

Ren nodded saying, "I understand…I'll talk to them."

* * *

Lori watched the interaction between Ten and Ren. He had a feeling Ren would try to stay away from the girl initially out of pure self-preservation. Getting close to Kyoko and caring for her as a partner while she carried his child would change him. It does every man. He wouldn't consciously avoid her; it would be more his subconscious reacting to change and fighting back.

But there was a way to get them to interact even with Ren internally rebelling over it.

* * *

"So now we need to decide where to move forward from here. How much do we tell her about what happened tonight?" Rori asked them all with the previous discussion coming to a close. "Ren, she remembers you as a child. How? That could be key in how much we tell her."

Ren wasn't sure. "As far as I know, the stone worked. It may have been the knock to the head that caused the memory to resurface.," he told them. "But she definitely called me by the same name she did when we were kids, Corn."

Lori nodded taking in what Ren said. "So we can tell her about supernatural stuff without her being overwhelmed. How much do we tell her?" He asked the room.

"She knows about the gnomes. She was awake when we escaped from them. That's definitely going to be on her mind after waking up. I don't know if she saw Rick. She was unconscious when I found them," Ren said.

"What if we only tell her about the gnomes then? Leave Rick as a human in her eyes?" Jelly asked.

"That could work so long as she didn't see anything," Rori said. "We'll have to ask her what she remembers from the night before proceeding."

* * *

Kyoko woke up with a melted ice pack on her forehead. She reached up to take it off and sat up. Her throat felt scratchy as she looked around the room she was in. She had no idea where she was. There was medical equipment next to the bed: an IV bag and a machine she wasn't sure what it did.

A glass of water was on the bed stand near her and she gulped it down gratefully. Her throat was still a bit sore but the water helped.

Kyoko looked at the clothes she was wearing. It was a set of sweatpants and sweater. Last she knew she was wearing a ball gown. _The ball…someone grabbed me…then…Corn!_ She stood up abruptly with her heart pounding. She ran to the door, jerking it open. Soft voices echoed down the hall causing her to run towards them. She heard a fire crackling as she got closer. As she burst into the room excited, she yelled, "Corn!" Only Corn wasn't in the room. She froze as she stared at Ren, Dr. Woods, Lori, and his twin. A fire danced in the fireplace causing odd shadows to move around the space.

Glances were exchanged between the occupants in the room as Kyoko realized what she just yelled. Ren got up and walked over to her. "You're awake," he said grabbing her hand and leading her to a seat next to him.

"Kyoko, how are you feeling?" Dr. Woods asked her.

"A little hoarse, but fine otherwise," she responded.

"How about the scratches?" Dr. Woods pressed further.

"Scratches?" Kyoko echoed trying to figure out what she meant. "Oh!" She said as the realization hit her. "You mean from the gnomes. I don't feel them actually." She pulled back a sleeve on her sweatshirt to look at some of them. They were still there, but they didn't sting any.

"Good, the ointment worked then," Dr. Woods told her.

"What's going on? Why am I here?" Kyoko asked pulling her sleeve back down and looking around the room. It was an odd mix of people in Kyoko's eyes.

"Can you tell us how much of the evening you remember? Then we'll tell you how you got here," Lori told her.

Kyoko looked at her boss and thought about it. "I remember everything that happened at the ball. Ren and I were dancing when the smoke started," Kyoko felt herself blush at the memory and hurried her thoughts along so she didn't dwell and embarrass herself more. "Ren tried to stand in front of me, but then I was pulled from behind," she told them.

"That's when you were taken," Ren informed her.

"Taken?" She echoed back to him.

"What do you remember next?" He asked her.

She struggled to figure it out. There was that dream about her time with Corn, then she was being woken up by Corn. She had no idea what happened while she was unconscious. But she couldn't tell them about Corn. She promised not to tell anyone. Granted, she had forgotten about him all these years. This was the first time she remembered him in she didn't know how long. Rather than answering their question, she tried asking her own. "How did I get to that house with the gnomes?"

Ren looked around the room before asking her, "You don't remember?" Kyoko shook her head no. "You were abducted by the serial killer who's been going around the city."

Kyoko stared at him in horror. "How am I not dead?" She asked him.

"It was me he wanted, not you," Ren told her. "He wanted to challenge me to catch him." Ren continued as Kyoko stared in confusion. "He thinks that I can help him find his answers to whether or not life is worth living. He's had a rough life apparently and just wants someone to help him find his answers."

"This doesn't make any sense," Kyoko said not understanding the logic.

"Basically he's incapable of making up his own mind and wants Ren to make it for him. If Ren manages to catch him, then life is worth living. If Ren can't catch him, he's going to go on killing," Lori explained.

"Oh," Kyoko said trying to comprehend it.

"He says he has something planned and won't be mindlessly killing for a while," Ren told her. "Catching him will be my sole focus." Kyoko nodded in response.

Kyoko missed it, but Ren glanced around the room before continuing. "Kyoko, do you remember Corn?" Her eyes stared in wonder at him as he spoke the name. She nodded her head hesitantly. "He brought you to me after finding you. He said you were in a house full of nasty gnomes and that you needed medical attention. We brought you here and called Dr. Woods because she's an old friend. It was a surprise to find out she was your doctor."

Kyoko's body filled with fear as she realized what it meant that Dr. Woods was here, and they knew she was her doctor. She looked at the three men as she read in each of their faces that they knew she was pregnant.

She jumped to her feet and ran back to the bedroom she ran from not too long ago.

* * *

Ren saw fear fill her eyes and her skin whiten as it dawned on her that everyone here knew about her pregnancy. When she jumped to her feet, he was only a second behind her and followed her to the bedroom. He was in the room with her before she had a chance to close the door. She realized he was following her and tried to run further into the room, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her holding her close.

He nuzzled his face into her hair and felt his body relax as her scent washed over him. He wished he could help her relax just as easily. She started to shake in his arms.

"Shhh," he said trying to calm her down. "It's alright."

"No, no it's not," she responded shakily. "You all will never look at me the same way again," she said into his chest.

"How do you think we'll look at you now?" He asked not understanding why it was so difficult for her to face them now that they knew she was pregnant.

"Like a loose woman, someone not deserving of your respect," she whispered. His heart ached at the pain in her voice and realization started to dawn on him over how important support would be for her.

"Kyoko, it's okay to be pregnant," he said into her hair as he held her.

"But I don't even know who the father is," she wailed at him. It felt like a dagger pierced his heart at her words. His secret hurt her.

"That's okay. You don't have to know. The important thing is how you move forward. We're all here for you," he said squeezing her a little tighter to show her he meant his words.

She pushed back from his chest to look up into his face as she asked, "why?"

How could he answer that? He couldn't tell her because he was the father or because he cared for her. Even if he couldn't physically keep his distance from her, he wanted to emotionally keep his distance. There was too much danger around him. And besides, Rick may have forgiven him, but Ren still held a grudge against himself for what happened that day.

"Because it's the right thing to do," he settled with as he rubbed her cheek with his hand while still pinning her to his body with his other.

Something flashed in her eyes briefly before she looked down and said, "thank you." She reached around her back with one hand peeling off his hand. "We should return to the others," she told him. Ren stared at her wondering what just happened as he watched her take a deep breath and leave the room.

* * *

Kyoko scolded herself on the way back to the living room where everyone was waiting for her and Ren. Why did she get her hopes up that he might feel something for her? She knew better. Love and all of its affiliated feelings were nothing but trouble. Ren was a true gentleman, that's why he offered to be there for her. There was no hidden meaning. And she shouldn't want one.

She made her way back to the couch sitting in the spot where Ren pulled her to the first time she came into this room. Ren followed behind her and sat back next to her. She felt conscious of his body next to her but ignored the flutter in her heart.

"There's no need to hide your pregnancy," Lori told her. "It's wonderful news! Babies are adorable and great fun!" Lori genuinely gushed at her. Kyoko couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

"How did they find out?" Kyoko asked looking over at Dr. Woods. Now that she had a chance to collect herself, she realized OGBYNs cared for more than pregnant women. They provided all kinds of care for women. Dr. Woods being her doctor didn't inherently mean she was pregnant.

"You spoke while you were unconscious," Ren told her from his seat next to her. "You kept mumbling about the baby,"

"Since the cat was already out of the bag, I saw no sense in trying to put it back in," Dr. Woods explained to her. Kyoko nodded mechanically, happy that Dr. Woods didn't just tell these men her secret.

Kyoko wanted to move the conversation away from her pregnancy and back to what happened over the evening. "How do you know Corn?" Kyoko asked Ren catching him off guard.

"Oh, ah, we crossed paths once before. He smelled my scent on you and knew I would take care of you so he brought you to me," he told her.

"You've met him?" She asked.

Ren nodded. "I was surprised to find out you knew him as well," he told her. He motioned to everyone else in the room before continuing, "We've all met him at one point or another."

Since they already knew about Corn, she could talk about her childhood friend with them, right? "We met when we were kids. He was practicing his shifting ability. For some reason, I forgot all these years about him. I only remembered him tonight."

"Do you know why you suddenly remembered him?" Rori asked her.

Kyoko shook her head in response. "All I know is I had a dream about him before he woke me up in that house with the horrible gnomes."

"A dream?" Ren questioned her.

Kyoko nodded. "It was my memory of our time together. It played in my head like a movie. I can't believe I forgot about him," she added upset with herself for forgetting someone so important to her.

"Kyoko," Lori said grabbing her attention. "How would you like to proceed from tonight?"

She looked at him uncertainly, "What do you mean?" She asked.

"You were in real danger tonight. Unfortunately, while the man who took you, his name is Rick, did not mean you harm tonight, you are still on his radar. He might come for you again," Lori explained to her. "Do you want to continue your life as you have been or take precautions?"

"I don't want to lose what I have now," Kyoko told him without having to think about it. For the first time, she was living life for herself. She didn't want to lose her friends or her job. "But I'm also concerned that this Rick person might come after me again."

"I'll make sure you have a security detail at all times," Rori chimed in.

"I wouldn't want to be a burden," Kyoko said in response.

"It's not a burden," Ren told her. "It's not unusual to put a security detail on someone who has a dangerous person after them."

"That's right," Rori added. "You are the only one who's been taken by Rick and lived to tell the tale."

"There isn't much of a tale to tell," Kyoko told him. "I don't remember my time with him."

"That doesn't matter. He knows who you are. It's our job to protect you," Ren said putting his hand on her shoulder. She felt her heart jump at the contact combined with his words saying he'll protect her.

"Thank you," she said not sure of how else to respond.

"Now that that's settled, let me tell you about your next assignment. It'll make the security detail thing easier," Lori said. Kyoko looked at him surprised that he was bringing this up now.

"My plan for a while has been to assign you or one of your friends permanently to the police station. I was already leaning towards you based on the article you wrote. But this evening confirms it if you're up to the task. I want you to permanently work with Ren writing about his efforts and those of other officers informing the public. Kanae and Rika will have similar assignments in different fields," Lori explained to her.

Kyoko felt overwhelmed at the responsibility he was giving her. "But I'm just a rookie. Why would you give me such an important job?" She asked him.

"Because you are unknown to the public and have yet to build biases. The public will be more likely to trust what you have to say because you are an unfamiliar name, and they don't know which way you lean politically. If you write well, they won't be able to figure it out and will see your articles as a presentation of facts and not something with a political agenda," he told her. "Do you accept the position?"

"Yes!" She said enthusiastically. Getting such a huge job this early in her career was unbelievable. There was no way she was going to pass this up.

"I guess we'll be working together a lot more," Ren said unenthused from beside her.

* * *

This is the end of arc 1. I'm going to take a couple of weeks to finish up _In Her Tower_ and work on the plot for the second arc.

I missed details this past arc on Kyoko's pregnancy. Realistically, she should have had a lot more exhaustion. The first trimester is often underestimated because the belly isn't showing, but the body is working hard to exponentially grow the fetus. Next arc will focus more on her pregnancy and the challenges she faces because of it.

Next arc will also focus on the crime wave more. I mentioned it a couple times here and there but there's been no real evidence of it yet. I'm going to try to flesh that out more in the coming chapters.

The podcast that I listen to has talked about the concept of kicking readers out of the story. That means that there are inconsistencies or unrealistic details that don't match the world I've created that readers notice. Please let me know if you experience getting 'kicked' out of my story because of representation, plot, or whatever. Even if I can't fix the problem in this story because it's too big a detail to change after posting, I'll be able to keep the mistake in mind for future writing.

Thanks so much for your reviews up to this point! I read them all. Never feel self-conscious to post a review because you're bad at English. Some of my favorite comments come from those who ramble ignoring all grammar.

-Besma0003


	31. Working with Ren Again

Recap:

Kyoko and Ren meet on a rainy night and have a one night stand. Each was seeking comfort from their own pain. Kyoko wanted solace after her breakup with Sho. Ren wanted to escape the nightmarish memories playing in his mind. They didn't exchange names and never expected to meet again.

Two months later Kyoko discovers she's pregnant. She panics over her situation and struggles with what she should do. Eventually, she decides to go through with the pregnancy and put the baby up for adoption. Her two friends, Kanae and Rika, support her in her decision and want to help in any way they can. Jelly Woods, aka Ten, is her OBGYN.

Kyoko is a new reporter along with her two friends. Before she starts a shadow program, she runs errands for her seniors. One of them asks her to check into a set of daggers at a pawnshop. One from the set was supposedly used in an attempted murder. Her senior believes the guy on trial is innocent. Kyoko confirms there is a whole set of daggers at the pawnshop for him.

That same day, Kyoko meets Ren again. Neither realizes who the other is. Ren is a homicide detective with an exceptional sense of smell but doesn't recognize Kyoko's scent thanks to a stink bomb that went off that day in the office. While they're interacting, Kyoko sees Sho. Her disgust at seeing him coupled with pregnancy nausea leads her to throw up on Ren.

The next day, they discover they're working together. Kyoko is to shadow Ren for a week before moving on to another profession to shadow. They get along well initially until Ren discovers her desires for becoming a reporter center around revenge. He gives her a lecture about how she'll become corrupt if she continues on her current path.

The murder scene she goes to with him has a familiar looking dagger. She brings Ren to the pawnshop where she saw the rest. On their way in, Kyoko notices a familiar symbol. It's a white flower on the outside of the building. It's the same symbol she saw when she helped Sho, who is an officer, find kidnapped kids. Each of the kidnapping sights had this same symbol. Kyoko found the symbol on an abandoned factory where the kids were. Sho being Sho, he took all the glory for the find and dumped Kyoko shortly after.

Kyoko points out the flower symbol on the pawnshop to Ren. Both are surprised the other can see it. Sho wasn't able to when she tried to show it to him. Ren recognized the symbol and tried to understand how it could have gotten there.

They check out the daggers in the shop, and Ren realizes they are cursed. Anyone who picks one up with a grudge will go into an extreme rage and be in danger of committing murder. He takes the rest of the daggers from the shop to purge before anyone else can be affected by them.

Kyoko and Ren continue investigating the murder. They interview the man's friends and put together a profile on him. During the week, Ren asks Kyoko to show him where the kids were found. He goes in the building alone so that he can investigate without her around. Due to lack of circulation, scents from the kidnapped kids still linger in the air. Ren finds one scent particularly disturbing. The kidnapper was his old friend Rick.

Ren warns the chief of police, Rori. They agree that he's also probably behind the recent serial killings that was believed to be done by a pack of dogs. For now, there wasn't much they could do to catch him. They would have to wait for him to make another move.

Kyoko's second week of shadow work is done at a church. She works under Asami and with a high school volunteer, Mimori. Sho patrols the area as a vice officer. Kyoko discovers he has a close relationship with Mimori and is forced to interact with him.

Kyoko also meets Max. He's a freshman in high school. Their first meeting was characterized by Kyoko finding him beat up in a back alley. He did not appreciate her interference. The next time she sees him is right before getting beat up and she stops the older kid from hurting him. Again, he doesn't appreciate her help.

She attends the local school fair with Sho and Mimori. It's part of her job to support the school's efforts. She comes across Max once again. His class is running a pirate cafe. He gives her the cold shoulder once again. Kyoko wanders around the fair on her own, trying different foods when she realizes she's lost. She wanders into a storage area and hears talking. It turns out to be Max and his bully. Kyoko was going to leave him be since he didn't appreciate her help before but the older kid pinned him to the ground. She showed herself and told the kid off again. After the kid left, dehydration hit and Kyoko started to faint.

Max caught her distraught over her condition. He gave her plenty of water to rehydrate and made sure she was okay. Kyoko realized he was a good kid after all. He just didn't have much trust for adults. Max's bully accused him of stealing his marijuana but he didn't have it. Max resigned himself to having to pay back the cost of the Molly even though he didn't have the money.

During the conversation, Kyoko lets it slip that she's pregnant causing Max to worry about her even more. He leads her back to the main area of the festival and leaves to take care of some things. Kyoko finds her way to the Bingo station that is the main event. It's a princess bingo. Kyoko is a closet princess fanatic and wins the game. She gets invited on stage to ring the gong.

Sho is helping out with the event and brings the gong to her. Without anybody realizing, he clips a rope to Kyoko's shirt. When students raise the flag in tandem with everyone else singing, the rope pulls on Kyoko's shirt ripping it off leaving Kyoko without anything but her bra to cover the top of her body. Max, who was on stage as part of the game, walks over and covers her with his jacket.

With no way to prove what sho did, he gets away with his prank. Ren and Kanae (they were working together for the week) saw the event unfold on live tv and rush to pick Kyoko up after work. Kyoko tells Ren she has a way to get back at Sho irking his ire once again. She gets another lecture about the consequences of her actions.

When Kyoko meets up with Sho again, she realizes there's another way to get back at him. She blackmails him into arresting Max's bully who is a drug dealer at the school. If he did, she wouldn't post her article about how he was the one behind her accident on stage. Sho agrees and takes care of the bully. Max is in awe of Kyoko's ability to strong arm the officer and greatly admires her.

One man who saw the incident on tv decided he wanted to meet Kyoko and started stalking her. Max blocks the man's way the first time he tries to talk to Kyoko. He comes back the next day and Kyoko texts Ren asking for his help. He comes to pick her up and kisses her head letting the stalker know she wasn't available. Max tells Ren he would have done that himself if he were old enough. Ren realizes Kyoko has an admirer.

He takes Max home from the incident. Ren and Kyoko see the flower symbol across the street from Max's house. Max gives them a description of a guy with white hair and white eyes. The same description from the kids about their kidnapper and from the pawnshop owner about the man who dropped off the daggers. Ren sends them both into Max's house while he investigates. On the top floor, he discovers Rick's room. One area is covered in bloody clothes from his victims, but he's not home. Ren calls it in.

Kyoko meets Max's mom. She's a prostitute. Max helps take care of her as much as she takes care of him. He does a lot of stuff around the house while she pays the bills.

Kyoko's third week is spent working at City Hall. She works under Hiou and with an annoying guy, Eiji. Both had crushes on Kanae who worked with them a couple of weeks before. They spend their time preparing for a ball that was supposed to ease people's fears about the current crime wave. In the process, Kyoko sees that Hiou is adept at getting things done and dealing with sticky situations. He is the Governor's grandson and much is expected from him. He starts college in the fall.

Rika, Kanae, and Kyoko are invited to the ball since they helped set it up. Lori, their boss and twin of Rori, also plans to show them off as his new proteges. Hiou, Ren, and Yukihito are set up as their dates. Yukihito is the lead CSI and Ren's unofficial mentor. He has his eyes on Rika who's equally interested in him.

The girls get together to dress up. The guys pick them up in a limo owned by Rika's family; her family is filthy rich. Ren is stunned by Kyoko's beauty. Even after he realized Kyoko was the one he slept with that night, he still tried denying any feelings towards her. But he couldn't deny his attraction anymore. He tries to tell himself that's all it is. He compliments Kyoko on her beauty and calls her alluring.

The three couples have fun at the ball after telling off an old acquaintance of Rika's. They each end up doing their own thing. Rika and Yukihito go off to kiss and flirt. Ren and Kyoko come into contact with Reino and Sho. She runs into Reino on her way to the bathroom. With his white hair, Kyoko thinks that maybe he's the killer. She's surprised to learn he knows details about the serial killer and that makes her warier of him. But he tells her he's a PI hired to figure out who the serial killer is which the police have failed to do. Reino is able to see auras and from it can tell that Kyoko has the ability of manifestation and that she's pregnant. Ren comes to her rescue and scares Reino off. From Ren's aura, Reino can tell he's not human. Reino heads off to see if he can find Sho. He wants to know if there's anything special about him, the man who found the missing children.

Ren walks Kyoko to the bathroom but makes her feel flustered by kissing her hand. She runs from him and runs into Sho. Sho tries to belittle Kyoko again but she remembers what Ren said about her being alluring and states it. Ren intervenes at that moment and wraps his arms around Kyoko while kissing her head to claim Kyoko as his in front of Sho. They manage to get away from him and continue dancing.

Kanae and Hiou make their rounds with the guests. As the grandson to the mayor, he had to show his face and play host. Kanae was happy to help him and learn. They come across Natsu. She is a rich heiress who constantly has projects going that benefit her company but often sidelines people in the community. Natsu leaves them alone and comes across Rika. Reino joins up with Natsu during the conversation. It turns out she's the one who hired Reino to catch the killer.

As everyone is enjoying their evening, smoke smelling of citrus starts to pool at people's feet and rise. Kyoko and Ren didn't notice it at first because they were having too much fun dancing. Once they notice the smoke, they stop dancing and look around trying to understand the disturbance. Someone rips Kyoko from Ren's side during the distraction and knocks her out. Ren gives chase. Once he's out of the smoke, he realizes the one who took Kyoko is Rick. Remembering the training his father gave him, Ren transforms into a Sacred Beast despite not being able to do it for years.

Ren finally catches up to Kyoko and Rick at a home surrounded by gnomes. Gnomes are supernatural creatures who don't like violence. If someone gets violent in their territory or emotions raise to the level of violence being imminent, they wake up and attack the offender. Rick and Ren would be unable to fight at this location.

Ren is surprised to find that Rick wants to talk and Kyoko is unharmed. Rick tells Ren Kyoko is pregnant with his child. Ren is shocked to discover this information but knows it to be true thanks to her scent. To his surprise, Rick doesn't want to kill him. He still hates humans, but not Ren for what happened in the past.

Rick is happy for Ren being a father but wants to save his child from a fate he considers worse than death: living in a world where Sacred Beasts are cursed beings. They can only have one pregnancy. Their race has been hunted down, and they have to hide who they are. Ren is the last one able to have a child. Without his offspring, their species will die out.

Sacred Beasts are only able to have one pregnancy because that is their punishment. It was their job to protect the Garden of Eden but they let a snake in who tricked Adam and Eve. They were punished alongside the first two humans.

Rick makes a deal with Ren. If Ren can stop Rick and his new friends from whatever plans they have for the city, he'll leave Ren's family alone. But if he can't stop them, Rick will kill Kyoko and the baby. Ren goes into a rage over the deal waking up the gnomes. Rick escapes while Ren graps Kyoko to escape from the supernatural beings.

While Kyoko was unconscious, she dreamed about her childhood friend Corn. She caught him practicing shifting into beast form. He finally managed it when he saved Kyoko from falling into a rock. The two played together. Kyoko happily helped Corn with his shifting. Before too long, it was time for Corn to leave. He gave her a stone that caused her to forget about him. Somehow, being knocked out brought the memory back.

She wakes up on the back of an adult Corn. She's confused but happy to see him even though she's fighting off gnomes in the process. It's raining outside causing Kyoko to have a fever. Ren brings her while in beast form to Rori's house. Jelly Woods is there as an old friend of the family. She's shocked to learn that Kyoko was the one abducted.

She gives Kyoko treatment while Ren fills Rori and Lori in on what happened. Jelly finds out Ren is the father and lectures him about being there for Kyoko. When Kyoko wakes up, she finds out that everyone there knows she's pregnant. She hides in the room in her embarrassment, but Ren followed her. Ren feels it's important to keep an emotional distance from her for her safety so lies about why he wants to protect her through her pregnancy. Kyoko thinks he's just being a gentleman and doesn't have real feelings for her. She pushes him away and walks back to the others while lecturing herself that love is stupid. Don't expect anything from Ren.

It's decided that night that Kyoko will work with Ren and report on police efforts to combat the crime wave. Ren is uncomfortable with working with Kyoko more, but Kyoko is excited about her first real assignment.

Now, we continue...

* * *

Week 14

_Kyoko stood there smiling down at her pregnant belly rubbing the sides in her affection for the child within. A_ _shuffling sound in front of her caught her attention. She looked up to see a blonde-haired boy approaching her hesitantly. She smiled at him and gestured for him to move forward. The boy pressed himself up against her belly trying to listen for the baby within. He jumped back in surprise when the baby kicked him. He looked at Kyoko shocked but then burst out into laughter hugging her stomach once more._

_A roar from their left caused them both to look. The boy in front of her disappeared as a giant, white wolf manifested in front of her. It raged, battering itself against walls and tearing apart furniture. Kyoko could see a figure in the dark behind the creature. The beast turned on the person and slashed out with its paws. From the darkness, a pool of blood spread to Kyoko's feet._

Kyoko opened her eyes in shock, panting at the scene from her dream. It was her first confusing dream like this in a while. She looked around her bedroom. Everything was in place. Jack was asleep next to her.

She pulled back her blanket to get out of bed. Her throat was parched. She needed water. Jack grunted at being disturbed from his sleeping spot. He gave her a cranky look before settling back into a comfortable position and closing his eyes.

Kyoko chuckled at his attitude and went to the sink to fill a cup with water. _What was that dream? _The little boy hugging her stomach in the beginning looked like Corn. But why would Corn hug her stomach? The white beast who appeared after was one she'd seen in her dreams before. But it was usually accompanied by a black one.

Then there was the pool of blood. She shivered at the memory of the image. It felt ominous. She walked over to her window to look out to see the cop car parked across the street. Ever since the night she was abducted, she had a security detail. It was disturbing being followed, but she appreciated the sense of safety it gave her.

Kyoko didn't remember much about the abduction. The only part of it she could recall was being grabbed from Ren's side. The next thing she knew, she woke up on Corn's back fighting off gnomes. _Speaking of Corn, what was he doing there that night? _At the time, she was feverish and didn't think about it, but how did he know to save her? If she met him again, she would ask him.

But for now, it was Monday and her first day back at the precinct. She spent a few days recovering from her cold and then a week wrapping up unfinished business at LoveMe. During that week, her nausea subsided which was a blessed relief. She could get up in the morning without the fear of puking her guts out.

Now she got to stress about working with Ren again.

_Ren…_Thinking about him still made her heart twist a bit, but she ignored it. She didn't have the energy to deal with feelings for someone. Nor did she want to. Love was a trap that she wanted no part of. Besides, Ren wasn't interested in her. He was only interested in being a gentleman and making sure all women around him were comfortable. His attention towards her was nothing special.

Kyoko moved away from the window to find clothes for the day from her closet. Spending her free time thinking about Ren was a mistake.

In the shadows out her window, a figure climbed down the fire escape without Kyoko noticing.

* * *

Ren showered and dressed at work. He was so busy for the last week and a half he barely spent any time at home. He had a stash of clothes in his work locker that he cycled through. When he was on the last set, he brought the dirty laundry to the cleaners. Not needing to be at home cut back on travel time and allowed him to focus on work.

Even though he was dedicating all of his time to it, he wasn't getting very far. There were no clues as to what Rick was up to. No useful data came back from the room he'd been staying in that he found with Kyoko. He felt discouraged by his lack of progress. How was he going to keep Kyoko and the baby safe with no progress on the investigation?

It wasn't just the investigation that he was stalled on either. Since the night Kyoko was abducted, he had been unable to shift into his beast form. He tried whenever he was in a private area, but it never worked. Even if he did manage to find Rick, confronting him was useless if he couldn't do it as a Sacred Beast. He wouldn't stand a chance against his old friend.

Ren looked at his watch realizing it was time for him to go pick Kyoko up. She spoke to him sparingly for the past week and a half through text. He wasn't sure if it was because of the shock of the abduction or because he upset her. He would find out today when he saw her face to face for the first time since the tumultuous night.

* * *

Kyoko tried taking deep, calming breaths as she walked out of her apartment. It was her first time seeing Ren since the night he found out she was pregnant. He was going to pick her up and drop her off at work every day. She wished she could take the bus, but that was obviously too dangerous with the target that was on her back.

She didn't know why Rick took her or why he let her live, but she was terrified he would change his mind and come back for her. For now, she gladly accepted the protection offered by the police…she just wished she could work with someone other than Ren. Someone who didn't make her heart rate increase just by existing.

Ren pulled up in his car and she got in the passenger seat. The car was filled with an awkward silence that Ren broke. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she told him while buckling in.

"Are you ready to work with me again?" He asked as he put the car in gear and started driving.

"I'm ready to work at the precinct," she responded.

"But not with me?" Ren asked noticing that she tried to dodge answering his question.

"...I'm just still not comfortable with you knowing my secret," Kyoko told him. It was true but not the only reason. She was also afraid of becoming an idiot in love again. And the man in the car with her was a kissing fiend as she discovered at the ball. In addition to him kissing her all over the place that night, it was a lot of fun being around him. That made him male enemy #1.

"I understand," he said even though Kyoko was positive he didn't since she didn't tell him the whole story. "But don't worry, I'll help you keep your pregnancy a secret for as long as you want…and when you're ready to tell people, I'll be there too."

"Stop please," Kyoko breathed out unable to bear his niceness. "You hold no responsibility towards me. Stop acting like you need to take care of me. We're nothing more than coworkers. What goes on in my personal life is none of your business."

"Okay," she heard him say quietly. They were both silent the rest of the way into work.

* * *

"Whatever happened with that case you were working on before?" Kyoko asked him as they were sorting through the files of Rick's victims. Ren read through them all already, but Kyoko needed to as well now that she would be working with him. She might be able to see a connection he didn't.

"The one with the guy who was murdered with the dagger you were familiar with?" Ren asked as he picked up another file. Working with her was going much smoother than the car ride did. Both of them focused on the job at hand leaving no room for awkwardness between them.

"Yes," Kyoko said as she flipped through a few pages.

"The wife did it," Ren told her.

"The wife?!" She squeaked as she looked up from her papers.

"Yup," he replied without looking at her and kept on working.

"Explain," Kyoko demanded setting the paperwork she was reviewing aside.

Ren finally looked up at her. "It's not all that complicated. He was cheating on her. She found out, got mad, and ended up stabbing him…repeatedly."

"He was cheating?!" Kyoko yelled in her shock.

"Yup. Banging his best friend's wife," he told her nonchalantly.

"...Wow…" She felt dumbstruck. "I can understand being angry about being cheated on. But enough to kill him for it?"

"Well," Ren looked to the side as if hesitating to say something.

"What is it?" Kyoko asked looking for more information.

"It's a little bit more complicated than that…" he trailed off.

"What do you mean?" She said pleading for him to continue.

Ren looked at her and sighed. "You know about the supernatural side of the world now, yes?"

Kyoko blinked in confusion at his sudden change in topic. "I'm aware of it, yes."

"The dagger, the one you recognized, the one that's part of a set of a dozen, was cursed." He told her after looking around to make sure no one was within hearing distance.

"Cursed?" She mouthed back to him struggling to believe him. The existence of Corn and gnomes whom she'd had first hand contact was one thing. But curses? Those were real?!

Ren nodded before continuing, "anyone who touched it with a grudge was doomed to go in a rage. She held a grudge against her husband for cheating on her, had the dagger for some reason, and the curse fed on her anger and fueled it. Once the object of her hatred was destroyed, the curse released its grip on her and dissipated."

"How do you know this?" Kyoko asked him. As far as she knew, Ren wasn't supernatural.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and avoided her gaze for a moment before turning to her to answer. "I work with Corn from time to time. Supernatural situations sometimes come up and he helps me out."

"Oh, that makes sense," Kyoko responded thinking it over. "Were the other daggers cursed too?"

"Yes, you actually felt the effects of one at the pawnshop," he told her.

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock as she recalled the uncontrollable rage she felt after picking up the dagger. "That's what happened?" She asked him surprised.

"Yes, that's why I removed it from your hands so that you wouldn't be sucked into your own anger."

"Thank you," she whispered realizing for the first time how close she'd come to doing something she'd regret for the rest of her life. She hated Sho, but she didn't want to kill him. "What about the rest in the set?" She asked focusing back on Ren.

"I brought the ones from the pawnshop to Corn. He was able to purge them and get rid of the curses. The last thing we need is an officer getting a hold of one of those daggers," he told her.

Kyoko nodded understanding how bad it would be for an officer to kill someone. "So it's not really the wife's fault. Is it fair for her to go to jail for what she did?"

"Yes and no," Ren responded cautiously. "The dagger didn't make her do anything. It only fueled her rage. She could have overcome the rage and chosen not to act on it. Since she didn't, she is still guilty. Plus, she can't use supernatural problems as a defense in court."

Kyoko took a moment to think about his words. "That makes sense. I still feel bad for her. If it wasn't for outside interference, she wouldn't have become a murderer."

"That's probably true," Ren said sympathetically. "Reason probably would have overcome desire without the curse's influence and she wouldn't have killed him. But we have no way to know that. And it didn't make her do anything she didn't want to do. It was still her choice."

"I suppose you're right. But the other daggers that haven't been found yet, are they also cursed?" She asked thinking about the rest in the set.

"I fully expect they are," he told her seriously. "I wish it was possible to find them before the curse on them activates, but there's no way to do so. We can't warn the public about daggers with curses without giving hints about the supernatural world. Unfortunately, the only way to find the daggers is after they show up at a crime scene."

"There are murders waiting to happen and there's nothing we can do to stop them?" Kyoko asked him thinking about the innocent lives who will be affected.

"Unfortunately," Ren said with a deep breath. "Knowing about the supernatural world doesn't mean we can stop its effect on the non-supernatural world. Let's get back to this paperwork so that you're caught up and can work with me," he said directing her attention back to what they were working on.

"Right," Kyoko responded trying to shake the depressed mood their conversation gave her.

* * *

Ren dropped Kyoko off at home after work. Before leaving, he made sure her security detail was there watching over the apartment. He was thankful for their presence even if they were no match for Rick if he showed up.

He had some errands to run and then would practice his shifting. He needed to make progress.

A downpour started as he pulled away from her apartment. It made it difficult to see as he was driving so he pulled back over to wait for the rain to lighten up. He thought about his conversation with Kyoko while he waited.

He told her the truth about the cursed daggers. She took the information well. He wasn't sure if it was best to tell her everything, but it would help to have fewer secrets while working with her. Besides, she was already aware of Sacred Beasts and gnomes. Curses weren't a great leap from there.

While he was truthful about the daggers, he lied about Corn. He was Corn, of course, but he couldn't tell her that. It was safer for Kyoko not to know. The less involved she was with that part of his life the better.

They worked together without any issues. Whatever reason she had for being short and brief in her text replies to him wasn't significant. He was just glad she wasn't mad at him.

Thankfully, the rain started to let up giving him something to think about other than the woman who got out of his car only a short while earlier.

Before he started the car back up a convenience store caught his eye. _I could use some coffee or an energy drink. _Ren opened the door to his car and got out in the drizzle. He heard a plop right before closing the car door. He looked down to see his phone sitting at the bottom of a rushing stream from the recent heavy rain. "Shit!"

He reached down and pulled it out of the water. After drying it off, he tried to turn it back on but was unsuccessful. "Great, looks like I need to buy a bag of rice from the store too."

* * *

Kyoko was glad to be back in her apartment. Working with Ren wasn't as strenuous as she thought it would be, but it was still stressful to be around him. She didn't like that he knew her secret.

She laid on her bed petting Jack thinking the day over. Ren looked exhausted from the moment he picked her up. She didn't notice it at the moment. She was too concerned about her own issues. But now that she was home in a comfortable space, she had time to think it over. His eyes had dark bags under them, and he didn't seem to have much energy. _Maybe I should bring a thermos full of coffee tomorrow?_

She got up to search her cupboards for the necessary tools and coffee beans. Since she found out she was pregnant, she didn't drink much coffee. She was debating whether or not to throw out her can of coffee beans, but now she had a use for it. She would bring some for Ren as thanks for picking her up and dropping her off from work.

_I wonder if the guys outside would like some? _She set to work getting a pot of hot coffee brewing. After a few minutes, she had a thermos full and a couple of mugs ready to go. She looked out her window to double check their location and headed out.

When she got to the door to leave her apartment building, she hesitated. It was easy to walk out this morning knowing Ren would be right there. She felt more cautious without him around. _This is silly. I went to work all last week without Ren giving me rides. I walked out the door on my own then. Why does it feel so much harder now?_

She took a deep breath then pushed her way through the door. "See Kyoko, that wasn't so bad," she muttered under her breath as she walked over to the cop car.

She looked up and down the street before crossing to make sure no cars were coming. Her heart beat rapidly upon seeing a man with long brown hair in a ponytail waiting at the corner to her far left while staring at her. She tried to act casual, as if she didn't notice him, and continued to walk over to the officers.

"Kyoko, is everything all right?" One of them asked as she got closer.

"I just wanted to bring you some coffee," she told them while trying to hold her fear in.

He smiled at her while accepting her gift through the window, "Thanks, we appreciate it."

"Um, is there something that can be done about stalkers?" She asked nervously.

"What do you mean?" The officer's jolly tone turned serious noticing her nervousness.

"I had a stalker a few weeks ago. I thought we got him to leave me alone, but he's down the street now," she told him.

"Did you get a restraining order against him?" He asked her.

"No, I'm not even sure his name. He stalked me for a few days before Ren scared him off pretending to be my boyfriend," she said nervously.

"Has he made any threats towards you or invaded your privacy?" The officer asked.

"No, he's mostly just stared at me from afar. When he has spoken to me, it was to ask me to go get dinner," she said remembering back to the first time he approached her while she was walking with Max.

"In that case, there isn't anything we can do about him. He hasn't done anything illegal. We'll keep an eye to make sure he doesn't do anything suspicious, but for all we know, he lives here. We can't stop him from entering the building. But if he does, I'll text you. Then if he comes by your apartment, notify me, and do NOT let him in. Okay?" The instructions he gave her made sense so she nodded and quickly went back inside.

Once she made it through the door of her apartment building, she raced up the stairs to her room. After she made it inside her apartment, she locked the door and fell to the floor in a heap. Racing up three flights of stairs took the wind out of her.

_Should I let Ren know? _She wondered as she laid there. _No, it's too trivial to bother him with….But he did say he'd rather rush to a false alarm than a crime scene when he lectured me before after scaring the stalker off._

She didn't allow herself to think about it more and called Ren. Her call went straight to voice mail. A text appeared on her phone after her failed call.

**Officer Diamond:** He's entered the building. Lock your door and let me know immediately if he comes to your floor.

**Kyoko:** The door's already locked.

She sat on the floor terrified of hearing a knocking sound._ No need to be scared Kyoko. Even if he does come to your door, he can't get in unless you let him. Which you obviously aren't going to do. Then all you have to do is let Officer Diamond know and he'll come to scare him off. _She reasoned to herself.

Her phone rang breaking the tense atmosphere causing her to jump. The caller ID said Max.

"Hey, Max," she said answering the phone.

"Hi, Kyoko…um…," he sounded unsure. "I was wondering if I could see you again sometime."

"I'd like that," Kyoko said smiling. She enjoyed spending time with him. He was a good kid. Plus, he didn't know about her abduction and would help keep her mind off of it. Max knew about her pregnancy, but it didn't stress her out for him to know.

"Really?! How about tonight?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Um…I don't think tonight will work," she said remembering the stalker outside.

"What's wrong?" He asked picking up on her scared tone.

"It's not a big deal," she said more trying to convince herself than Max. "Just…the stalker is at my apartment."

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm baaaack! I know it was a while. I was hoping to finish In Her Tower (IHT) and then come back to Under the Rain (UtR), but it got more and more difficult to write IHT. Even though there's only one more chapter, I might have quit writing if I forced myself to write it. So I'm putting it to the side until I get back into a writing groove. I do plan to finish it, just not right now.

I hope the recap was helpful. It was almost as long as the chapter itself.

There were comments of people being worried that I had dropped this story. I have no intention to drop it. I've planned out the plot of part 2 and am very excited about it. Initially, I wasn't sure I would be able to make it as interesting as part 1, but I've come up with some good stuff. It'll be a good read if I can write it well. By the end of week 14, you'll be very excited as well. I promise.

If you're curious about updates, you can always drop in the discord channel (link in my profile) or check my profile. I updated it about three weeks ago that the next chapter was going to be out today.

For the rest of the month, I will post a chapter weekly. I start school after that and am not sure how that's going to affect my writing schedule. I might be inconsistent for a little bit until I get used to being back at school.

As always, thanks for reading and for your comments!

-Besma0003


	32. Another Encounter

A/N: I read through last week's chapter on my phone and realized the formatting changes I made for texts didn't come up on the mobile format. Parentheses will now be around texts.

Week 14

Kyoko sat on her bed waiting for Max to arrive. Once she told him the stalker was at her apartment, he demanded her address and stated he was coming over. She looked at the bat leaning up against her bed. It was her only protection. She bought it when she moved in. _A bat is not going to do much though is it? Maybe I should hammer some nails into it__?_

A text arrived on her phone as she ruminated over alterations to her bat.

((Max: Entering your building now.))

_What am I doing? I'm so pathetic that a 14-year-old is worried about me. Why am I not capable of taking care of this on my own? Should I try to? I can tell Mr. Stalker he's not welcome and to buzz off._

Her doorbell rang as that thought crossed her mind. She got up and went to the door to look through the peephole. Max stood there holding a wet umbrella. _Right, it started raining earlier._

Kyoko opened the door to let him in. "Thank you for coming," she told him as he entered.

"Of course, you shouldn't have to deal with a stalker on your own," he responded. "Do you have somewhere I can put this wet umbrella?" He asked holding it up to catch her attention after hanging his jacket by the door.

"Uh…you could set it in the shower. It'll dry and not get anything wet there. Let me take it for you." She grabbed it from him and walked into her bathroom to put it down. "…Did you see him on your way up?" She called as she finished her task out of Max's sight.

"No," Max said shaking his head while looking around Kyoko's apartment. "I didn't see anyone other than the cop car sitting outside. What are they doing out there?"

"That…is a patrol for the street. There have been some break-ins recently and they're being pre-emptive," she responded hoping he believed it.

"I wish they were that proactive for our neighborhood," he huffed. "They don't do much even when we do call them about such petty crimes."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said truthfully. "Why don't we hang out on the couch?" She said pointing to her living room area. He shrugged his shoulders in response and walked over.

Kyoko joined him on the couch moving Jack out of her seat. "Sorry kitty, but you're gonna have to share."

"That's a big cat!" Max said laying eyes on Jack while he sat down.

"He's about 12 pounds," Kyoko told him. "He isn't as overweight as he seems. The bulk is from fur with a lot of muscle underneath.

"Most of the cats I've seen are scrawny due to starving. They wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against him." Max scratched under Jack's chin as he admired the cat's size.

"He certainly thinks he's all that. Walks around here like he owns the place and gives me the stink eye frequently," Kyoko responded.

"I can see that," Max said nodding his head. "Even now he has a look on his face of total confidence that he's at the top of his world."

"Right?" Kyoko laughed. "So tell me how school has been going since your bully was arrested," she asked changing the subject.

"The school still has a drug problem. It'll take more than arresting one guy to change that, but none of the other dealers care that I exist. So it's peaceful for me," he told her as he continued petting Jack brushing his orange fur all over the couch. He shed a lot.

"That's good at least. Anything else going on?" She prodded.

Max looked at her concerned. "Are you sure you want to be discussing this?" He asked.

"I'd rather think about these things than the stalker potentially outside my door. So yes, I'm sure I want to discuss mundane things." _I'd also rather not think about my kidnapper and that whole situation. Max's life is waaay better conversation._

He thought for a moment before responding. "The only thing really going on is the talent show. They are starting to advertise for it and are encouraging us to get ready to participate."

"Oh! I helped with some of that," Kyoko responded almost jumping up in her excitement. "Are you going to participate?" She asked him eagerly.

"I don't think so," he said looking down. "I don't have a talent to show off."

"Are you sure?" Kyoko asked struggling to believe his words. He was a bright kid with a good heart. Surely he must have skills to show off.

He shook his head in response. "Well, what would YOU do for a talent show?" He asked flinging the question right back at her.

She sat back to think about it. "That's a good question. Let me think for a moment." She tucked her legs underneath her as she thought about the possibilities. "I guess I would do something with cooking. That's the first thing that comes to mind."

"Cooking?" Max repeated thinking over the topic. "I wouldn't have thought of that as an option for a talent show."

"Sure it is. There are special cutting techniques that can be demonstrated. The judges can try a dish to see if it's any good," she told him thinking over the possibilities.

"I guess there's more to do than I thought," he said looking at her.

"Well, does it give you any ideas?" She prodded him.

"No, I still don't have any talents. All I do is go to school and take care of things at home for my mom," he replied.

"Hmm, when do you have to have an application in?" She asked.

"...It's in about a month I think," he told her after taking a moment to think about it.

"We have time to think of something then," she said while trying to come up with ideas for him.

"If you say so," he chuckled. "So, are you ready to talk about your stalker yet?" He said changing the subject.

Kyoko sighed at the change. "I guess so, but there isn't much to talk about. I saw him down the street, and I'm aware that he entered the building. He has not come by my apartment as far as I know," she said giving him all the details she had.

"Hmm, I wish we could tell where in the building he was," Max said thinking out loud.

A knock came at the door causing both of them to jump. They stared at each other both wondering if it could be the stalker. Kyoko quietly got off the couch and walked to the door. Max was right behind her.

She looked out and saw her stalker with his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He had some stubble on his face in contrast to how he was clean-shaven when she first met him.

Kyoko reached behind her to grab Max's hand for support. She didn't look at him and missed his blush. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Who are you?"

"It's me, your fan," her stalker said. "I was hoping we could have dinner. I brought Chinese," he said holding up a bag from the local Chinese store for her to see through the peephole.

_I have to be clear and leave no room for misunderstanding, _she told herself before responding. "I'm not interested in having dinner with you. You need to leave me alone. I do not want any contact with you." Max squeezed her hand in support of her words.

"Oh," her stalker looked dejected. "I guess I'll head out then." He walked out of view of the peephole and Kyoko let go of the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Phew," she breathed leaning on her arm against the door.

"That was too easy," Max said from behind her. "He wasn't scared away by me or your detective friend and followed you home. There's no way that was enough for him to finally get the message."

Kyoko looked at him with fear starting to build up again. "You think?" She asked.

Max nodded his head. "He's probably done for tonight. I imagine he's going to want to regroup before approaching you again. But he's proven that he's more stubborn than accepting you telling him to leave him alone."

"You're probably right," Kyoko said looking down.

"I'm going to head home for tonight, but I'll be back first thing after school tomorrow. If you're not home from work yet, I'll look around to see if I can find any clues about where he hangs out around here," he told her before heading to the bathroom to grab his umbrella.

"Max, you don't have to do that. In fact, you probably shouldn't," she told him concerned.

"I'm just a kid. Adults dismiss what I do. Even if he does see me, he won't register me as a threat," he told her confidently walking back to her.

"Still…," she trailed off.

"I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her opening the door with his umbrella in one hand and his jacket slung over his arm.

"Alright," Kyoko said giving in. "Just be safe."

"Of course," he told her smiling as he walked down the hallway to the elevator.

* * *

Ren stopped to get a couple of energy drinks for the day before picking up Kyoko. These all nighters were not easy to keep up. But he had to. It was his job to keep Kyoko safe. He had to get control of his powers and make sure Rick didn't approach her.

He drove to her apartment and parked outside. A minute passed before he realized she was usually waiting for him or coming out the door as he arrived. She didn't usually keep him waiting. He looked across the street and saw the cops who were her security detail during the night. Ren got out and walked over.

"Hey guys, any news on Kyoko?" He asked once he got close enough.

"As far as why we were assigned to watch her no, but something else came up yesterday apparently." Ren frowned hearing his words. "Did you know she had a stalker?"

"Yes, but I thought I scared him off," Ren said not liking where this was going. Surprise showed on the officer's face at Ren's words.

"Well, Kyoko saw him on the street yesterday. Officer Diamond saw him head into the building a bit later," he said.

"What?!" Ren almost yelled.

"Don't worry, we've kept in touch with her. She's fine," the officer quickly supplied sensing he was about to see an unheard of angry side in the great Ren Tsuruga. "The problem is we haven't seen him leave the building all night. There are other exits he could have used. But this is the main entrance. If he doesn't live here, it would make sense for him to exit this way."

"My phone is damaged at the moment. Text her for me and let her know I'm coming up," Ren told him as he walked away.

* * *

A/N:

Phew, I was a bit worried about getting this out. I was sick this past week and had some other unexpected issues. But here it is!

Thanks for reading and your comments!

-Besma0003


	33. Abort

Week 14

Ren ran up the three flights of stairs to Kyoko's floor. He never entered the building before but he knew the layout by heart. After the incident with Rick, he memorized her building's floor plan. He rushed through the entrance for her floor and went straight for her door. As he was going to knock, the door opened and a wide eyed Kyoko stood before him.

"Ren, what's wrong?" She asked looking up at him shocked.

"I…I heard your stalker was back and got worried," he said lamely.

"Oh….thank you, but I'm all right," she told him. "I was just on my way down to meet you." Her phone dinged at that moment and she pulled it out to check the message. "Heh, I just got the text from the guys outside that you were on your way up.

Ren sighed at his embarrassment. "Shall we get going to work?" He backed away from the doorway and motioned with his arm down the hall.

"Yes," Kyoko said as she stepped out of her apartment and closed the door behind her locking it.

Ren walked behind and took note of the scents in the air. He smelled the stalker but also someone else familiar. He was struggling to place it when an image of a boy flashed in his head. _That kid Max!_

"Kyoko, did your stalker come by?" He would draw out the details from her of what happened last night.

She was silent for a moment before speaking, "Yes. He wanted to have dinner with me, even brought take-out with him. But I told him I wanted nothing to do with him and for him to go away. Max doesn't think it's enough to get him to stay away since he's gone so far as to follow me home," Kyoko explained as they descended the stairs at a normal pace.

"Why was Max here?" The kid lived nowhere near here. It didn't make sense for him to be nearby.

"He came to visit," she said. To Ren, it sounded like she was dodging the question.

They made it to the exit of the building and headed for Ren's car. "What made him come across town to visit so suddenly? Did he know about the stalker?" He looked at her from the side gauging her reaction as she answered.

"He called ad I mentioned my stalker was here. He came immediately," she told him getting into the car.

Ren walked over to the driver's side and got in as well. "Why didn't you call me?" He asked her. Clearly she was scared. Did she find more safety and comfort in that kid than him?

"I did," she replied with some heat in her voice. "It went straight to voicemail. There was no way to reach you." She folded her arms and looked out her window away from him as she spoke.

Ren sat there staring at her feeling like an idiot. "Right, sorry," he said as he turned the car on and headed down the road. "I broke my phone yesterday. I need to get a new one today."

Truthfully, his phone would probably be alright after sitting in some rice for a few days but he couldn't wait that long. He needed his phone sooner rather than later so that he was always available in case of trouble.

* * *

Kyoko sat silently in the car the rest of the way into work. She was shocked to see Ren right outside her door when she opened it this morning, but she couldn't deny the relief she felt at his presence. The reason she was running late this morning was because of her anxiety over potentially meeting her stalker as she walked out of the building kept distracting her. To have Ren walk her out alleviated her fears.

When they got to the police station, Ren borrowed Kyoko's phone to call his cell phone provider to get a replacement. She walked to their desks on her own and pulled open the filing cabinet to start pulling out the paperwork they would be sorting through today. Yesterday they went over all the details from the murder cases. Today, they would be going over all the child kidnapping cases. Corn told Ren that this Rick character was the one behind it all. It gave them more data to hopefully create a picture of what Rick was up to.

"Fancy meeting you here," a chilly voice said by her ear causing her to jump and turn around.

"You!" She said as she glared at a man with long white hair and purple eyes.

"I have a name, remember? Call me Reino," the PI instructed her.

"What are you doing here?" Kyoko demanded as her eyes looked around for Ren. He was nowhere in sight.

"I'm collaborating with the police while conducting my investigation into the serial killer, and your kidnapper," he said with a smirk.

"How did you know about that?!" She demanded. Her kidnapping was not public knowledge.

"I'm a PI, remember? Besides, I have friends in high places," he said still smiling at her. "But enough about that unpleasant business. I have other business to discuss with you that's even more unpleasant." The smile disappeared from his face as he spoke. "That child within you, you need to abort it. It's not human."

Kyoko's eyes went wide at the mention of her pregnancy in a public atmosphere. She hissed for him to shut up as she grabbed his arm and led him to a private room. Once the door closed behind them she rounded on him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! My pregnancy is only known to a few people. I don't want people to know about it yet. You can't go talking about my private affairs like that."

Reino cocked an eyebrow at her. "To be honest, I didn't think I would get you to agree to speak with me privately with how hostile you are towards me. Had I known you would be happy to get a private room together," he said leaning in towards her, "I would have been happy to wait until we were alone."

Kyoko blushed at the insinuation in his words. "You pig!" She spat out. "I'm done here," she stated as she walked past him to head out the door.

"Not so fast," Reino said grabbing her arm preventing her from leaving. "I'm not done. As I said, we need to discuss your pregnancy."

Kyoko felt confused until she recalled his words just a few moments before about abortion. She ripped her arm from his grasp and squared off with him. "In what world do you have any say in decisions I make about my pregnancy?" She said threateningly. The atmosphere around her started to turn dark as her anger rose.

"This one," Reino said coolly as he watched the atmosphere change around her. He was enjoying the show. "I know about the supernatural. It's part of my job to deal with supernatural problems. That thing growing in your stomach isn't human. I don't know what manner of creature it is. That likely means it's dangerous. You need to abort it." The air around Kyoko started to get thick with her anger. Reino watched as manifestations of her grudge demons started to appear circling around waiting for the opportunity to attack him. He smiled admiring her abilities.

"I don't know what drugs you're taking," she seethed glaring at him. "But the child is human. I would know if I had sex with someone other than human, and he was definitely human."

"I'm not on any drugs, Kyoko," he told her still admiring her grudge demons. "In fact, I can see your grudge demons trailing around you writhing in their hatred for me." He stepped forward as he spoke and caressed a shocked grudge demon. "They're beautiful," he whispered.

Kyoko jumped back in her fear of the man standing before her. "Leave me alone, and never speak to me about my pregnancy again!" She demanded before turning on her heels and running from the room.

"Not gonna happen," he said to the air after she left. "After all, that child your carrying could be a threat. I can't allow it to be born unless I know what it is."

* * *

Ren arrived at his desk with Kyoko's phone expecting her to be nearby. He looked around but didn't see her anywhere in the area. He started to feel a slight concern at her unexpected disappearance. _She's fine, Ren. Rick can't take her from a police station without raising an alarm and everything is quiet. She's probably just in the bathroom._

He pulled the files out of the cabinet they would need for the day and turned to see Kyoko making her way for him with a panicked look on her face.

"Kyoko?" He called concerned about her demeanor. She didn't respond. She didn't seem to see or hear him. "Kyoko?" He said again closing the distance between them faster and grabbing her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I...he…the baby," she said looking down at her stomach. Dread filled Ren's stomach at her lack of coherency and the word 'baby'.

"Let's find somewhere else to talk," he said putting an arm around her and walking to an area he knew they could speak in peace. Yukihito had his own office in the lab. They could speak there and be assured no one would unexpectedly walk in on them. Ren stepped into the lab interrupting his friend's concentration. "Could we borrow your office?"

Yukihito looked at the two confused but knew better than to ask questions at the moment with Kyoko's face white and panicked. He nodded his head and pointed behind him where it was located.

"Thanks," Ren said as he maneuvered himself and Kyoko around lab equipment to get to the little room.

In the room with the door closed, he sat Kyoko in the seat not trusting her to be steady on her own feet. "Tell me what happened," he said kneeling down in front of her.

"Reino," she said the name by itself taking a few moments before continuing. "He says my baby's not human…"

The fear in Kyoko's eyes as she stared at him ripped at his heart. _How the hell does he know?! And what's it his business? _"It's preposterous for him to claim such a thing."

"But…he has supernatural abilities. He sees things…about me that he shouldn't be able to see," she told him.

Ren didn't understand her words. "What kind of things?"

She looked in his eyes calculating whatever it was she wanted to say before looking away. "That's not something I want to talk about."

He was shocked by her response but realized he wasn't going to get anything more out of her on that particular topic so he switched back to the matter at hand. "Did Reino say anything else about the baby?"

"He said I should abort because it could be dangerous since it's not human," she managed to say before bursting into tears.

Ren felt dumbstruck by her words. _Abort our child?! Never! The next time I see that bastard I'll make sure he's too afraid to even think about Kyoko and the baby. Nevermind speaking to her. _Ren felt his rage surging at the idea of abortion and some outsider calling his child dangerous. Even worse, the bastard riled Kyoko up with his words.

Before he could calm Kyoko down, Ren had to calm himself down. He took a steadying breath before speaking. "Kyoko, he's crazy. There's no way your baby isn't human. What does he think you had sex with?"

Kyoko shook her head as she got control over her tears. "He said he didn't know but Ren….Corn is real. Who's to say the man that night wasn't a supernatural being?" She whispered.

Ren felt a dagger stabbing at his heart for the unfair pain Kyoko was going through. His mind raced to find a way to calm her nerves. "Has Dr. Woods found anything unusual about your pregnancy?" He asked. She shook her head no in response. "See? If there was anything wrong with the child, Dr. Woods would know."

Kyoko nodded her head as relief started to spread across her face. "You're right, there's been nothing abnormal about the pregnancy up to this point. There's no reason to believe his words…even if he can see things he shouldn't."

Ren wanted to ask about her last words but her response from earlier told him his questions on the subject were not welcome. "Alright, here's some tissues to blow your nose with," he said offering a box Yukihito kept on the desk. She took it gratefully from him. The crying caused her nose to run and her eyes to redden and become puffy. "There's a bathroom just down the hall from here that's hardly used since it's so far away from everyone else. It might as well be Yukihito's personal bathroom."

Ren held out a hand to help her get up and led her to the door. Yukihito took one look at them then looked the other way pretending to focus on the task at hand. Ren took Kyoko to the hallway and pointed out the bathroom. He watched her enter and the occupancy code turn to lock before turning back to his best friend.

"What the hell is going on, Ren?" Yukihito exploded as soon he had Ren's attention.

"That damn PI," Ren told him. "He's getting involved in Kyoko's personal life acting like he has a right to tell her what to do."

"What's he sticking his nose in?" Yukihito asked trying to understand.

"It's..," Ren hesitated before continuing. "It's not something I can talk about. It's Kyoko's private business that she's not ready to have public. Which makes it even worse that this bastard is invading her privacy," Ren seethed.

Yukihito stared at his friend for a moment before speaking. "I can appreciate that you want to keep her secrets, however, if this continues, you're going to have to trust me so I can help out. I won't ask anything more now."

"Thanks," Ren said honestly to his friend.

* * *

A/N:

I hope you enjoyed the Reino scene as much as I did. He's a fun character.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

-Besma0003


	34. Questions

Week 14

Kyoko stared at her face in the bathroom mirror. She didn't cry for long so the puffiness wasn't too bad. She wet a paper towel with cold water and dabbed around her eyes to reduce the swelling. Her nose was red from blowing it, but that would fade shortly too.

_Ren's right. The baby had a human heart rate. There's been no evidence of anything abnormal. I have an ultrasound scheduled at 20 weeks. If the baby truly isn't human, we'll know then. And Dr. Woods knows about the supernatural world. She'll face whatever's going on with the baby with me._

She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before stepping out of the bathroom. Ren was waiting for her in the hallway. "Ready to get started with going through more files?" He asked her.

"Yes," she responded as she took steady steps leaving her tears and fears in the bathroom.

* * *

By the end of the day, they had gone through every past incident involving Rick: kidnappings and murders. They couldn't find a single link other than the supernatural white flower. Ren spent the previous week going to each of the murder scenes and confirmed they too had the flower.

"Ren, what's up with this flower?" Kyoko asked exhausted after spending two days hunched over a desk going through file after file.

"What do you mean?" He asked her as if it wasn't suspicious.

"You know what I mean," she demanded. "This flower symbol at all locations dealing with Rick. What is it? Why can only you and I see it? How is he leaving it behind? Does this mean the murderer is a supernatural being?"

Ren looked up at her from the paperwork he was reviewing thinking through her questions. "As far as why we can see it, that probably has to do with our connection to Corn. Since we know the supernatural world exists, it's easier for us to see things connected to that part of the world. But about Rick… I don't know. When Corn dropped you off after rescuing you, he didn't mention Rick being anything other than human.

* * *

Ren hoped his explanations were enough to ease her curiosity.

"That's another thing," she blurted out not satisfied by his words. "How did Corn know I was in danger? Why did he save me? I doubt he just happened to be in the neighborhood."

_Shit, she's not going to let this drop. _He thought carefully trying to find the best explanation. But Kyoko continued speaking before he had a chance to open his mouth.

"The only thing I can think of is that he's been tracking Rick and saving me was just a happy accident. But if that's the case, why hasn't he given us more details? You said you've worked with him before. Wouldn't he gladly collaborate with you to catch someone so dangerous?" Her thoughts were rolling off her tongue not giving an opportunity to think about each question.

_I need to end her curiosity now. _"Kyoko," he said trying to get her attention and to stop her mind from reeling. "When I've interacted with Corn in the past, his time was limited and his actions restricted. It might be difficult for him to communicate with us. I'm glad, very glad, he was able to save you that night, but we can't rely on him to do our work for us. We should just take the help he does offer and do what we can without worrying about him."

Kyoko looked at him thoughtfully mulling over his words. "I guess it does make sense for his movements in and around humans to be limited. Still, I wish I knew how he knew I was in trouble that night." She looked downcast as wondered out loud.

"We may never know," Ren told her. "All we can do is be glad that he did." She nodded her head in agreement and slumped onto her desk.

"This has been exhausting. We've gone through all this paperwork and have no leads other than a supernatural one that we can't do anything with. Where do we go from here?" She asked turning her head up to look at him while her chin was still placed firmly on the desk.

It was a vulnerable, endearing sight. Ren had to choke back a chuckle before responding to her. "Why don't we try looking into those daggers from before? That's the only other location that has had a white symbol."

Kyoko sat up contemplating what he said. "You're right. That symbol was on the pawnshop. Should we look into the store owner?"

"That's not a bad idea, but mostly to cross him off our list of suspects. I doubt he has anything to do with the murderer. He just happened to be the store the daggers were sold to," Ren told her.

"Those daggers are supernatural because of the curse," Kyoko said thinking out loud. "So Rick MUST be a supernatural being."

_Kyoko, the last thing I want is for you to realize there's a beast after you who could find you anytime he wants anywhere in the city and rip you to shreds. PLEASE stop digging into this. _Ren felt himself floundering trying to derail her trail of thoughts before another white haired individual popped in his head. "Not necessarily. Reino claims to have supernatural powers and he's human. The killer may just be like Reino."

Kyoko paled slightly at the mention of Reino. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up," Ren said realizing Kyoko's interactions with the man so far were less than pleasant.

"No, it's alright," she said shaking her head. "You're right. I just don't like thinking of his claims to having supernatural abilities to be true." She covered her stomach with one arm as she spoke causing Ren's stomach to turn with guilt.

"Well, I think we've gone about as far as we can today. Tomorrow we'll head to the pawnshop and investigate it further. For now, are you ready for me to take you home?" He asked her.

"Yes," she responded with a strained look.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet and tense. Ren wanted to find something to talk about to lighten the atmosphere a bit. "I noticed you haven't been snacking as much lately. Are you not as hungry anymore? I assume your pregnancy was affecting your appetite."

Kyoko gave him an unimpressed sideways glance before speaking. "Not that my eating habits are any of your business, but I was snacking because it eased the nausea. I haven't felt very queasy the last few days so I stopped snacking regularly."

Ren gave himself a mental kick for bringing up a woman's eating habits. Not the best subject to make a more comfortable atmosphere. "So you've been feeling better? I thought morning sickness lasted the whole pregnancy."

"No," she responded after a deep breath. "It's more a first trimester thing, although some women do experience it through their whole pregnancy.

"Does that mean you're in your second trimester now?" Ren asked eager to learn about how she and the baby were doing.

"Just starting," she told him. "I'll start showing soon, but I think I can hide it for a little longer with some baggy clothes." She was looking out the window away from him as she spoke. She didn't sound thrilled.

"Are you... okay?" He asked her.

"I just…" she started but stopped. "I just wish people didn't have to know. I don't mind going through with the pregnancy and putting the baby up for adoption but the judgments from others I could do without."

"Why would you be judged?" He asked trying to understand.

"Reeen," she said dragging out his name in her frustration. "I'm a single woman. I don't even know who the father his. What am I going to say when people ask me who the father is? When they find out the pregnancy is from a one night stand, what are they going to think of my decision making skills? I'll have to work extra hard to overcome people's prejudices."

"You would work hard anyway wouldn't you?" He asked her as he drove.

"What" She responded confused.

"Even if you didn't have to overcome what people think of you, you'd work hard, right?" He said again.

"Well, yes," she responded trying to understand what he was getting at.

"So why worry about what others are thinking? You'll work hard if they think well of you and work hard if they don't. Their thoughts are irrelevant." He looked at her to see if his words were helping any.

She stared forward as she processed what he said. "You're right. The quality of my work wouldn't change no matter what others are thinking. I'll always work hard," she said looking at him and giving him a peaceful grin. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said while smiling back. He pulled the car over as they arrived at Kyoko's building. Ren got out to walk inside with Kyoko.

* * *

Kyoko sat in her seat stunned from the smile she received from the man who drove her home. It was dangerous. It was the kind of smile that could make a girl swoon if she wasn't careful. It was shiny and sparkly…and handsome…and kissable…

"Kyoko?" Ren called interrupting her thoughts poking his head back in the car. He was already out of the car waiting for her.

"Coming," she called as she got out. She was embarrassed getting caught in her thoughts making her cheeks feel a bit warm. "You don't have to walk me in," She told him wanting to get away as fast as possible walking towards the building.

"Yes, I do," Ren responded giving her no room to argue. "It makes you feel better, and I'm supposed to be playing the part of your boyfriend in case our stalker is watching. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't walk my girl in?" He held the door open for her as he spoke giving her a mischievous grin.

She responded with a forced smile as she walked in. _Just until we reach my door. Just until we reach my door. _The faster she got away from this handsome danger the better.

Ren walked up the stairs ahead of her. She begrudgingly followed.

* * *

Ren opened the door to Kyoko's floor and was surprised to see a figure sitting against her door looking up to the ceiling. "Max?" He called as he looked at the kid.

Max looked at them with a black eye and cut lip as Kyoko came up behind Ren. "Max!" She yelled getting a look at him and running to him. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," he said standing up gingerly. Clearly his facial wounds weren't the only ones. Ren checked the scents in the air as he walked close. The smell of the stalker was faint, probably leftover from last night. The smells coming off of Max were from people unknown to Ren.

"How did this happen?" Kyoko fussed as she got her key out and opened her door. "Come in, let's get you cleaned up," Kyoko told him.

Max and Ren followed in behind her and went to the couch while Kyoko filled a bowl with water, got ice, and a towel.

Ren sat next to Max and looked him over. He watched the kid walk and could identify a few potential injuries. He likely had bruising on his torso, arms, and legs. He also saw cuts along his knuckles. _Probably tried to swing back and missed scraping his hands against a wall or the ground._

Kyoko came over giving Max the bag of ice to hold over his eye. She sat on the floor in front of him and took the wet cloth to dab at his cut lip. "What happened?" She asked again.

"It's nothing to worry about," the kid said trying to dodge her question.

"Max, just how often do you get beat up at school?" Kyoko asked figuring out the situation on her own.

He looked at her startled. "How'd you know?"

"I've found you beaten, about to be beat, and in the process of getting beat up before, remember? You didn't want to talk about it any of those times either?" She said adding a little more pressure than necessary to his cut lip making him flinch.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh pushing her hand away. He looked away from Kyoko only to look straight at Ren. The kid clearly didn't like that any more than his first option and chose to look down.

"So this happens often?" Ren said interjecting.

"It's none of your business!" Max said with force in his voice.

"Max, we just want to help," Kyoko said putting her hand on his knee trying to get him to calm down. He flinched from her touch pulling his knee away from her. "Just how many wounds do you have?!" She exclaimed standing up. "That's it! Max, you aren't getting out of this without a proper explanation. But first, treatment." She turned her gaze to Ren as she gave instructions. "Ren, treat his wounds. Max, take off your shirt and pants so Ren can make sure you don't need hospitalization and can make sure everything gets disinfected." She walked off to the bathroom as the two males stared after her shocked. She briskly walked back after a moment handing Ren a bottle of peroxide. "I'll wait in the bathroom until you tell me you're done." She left them behind dumbstruck once again. The bathroom door slammed behind her.

Ren and Max turned their wide eyes to each other. "You heard the lady," Ren told him.

Max groaned as he realized he didn't have a choice but to obey. He gingerly slid off his shirt. Ren saw several bruises and a few cuts. He wet the cloth with peroxide and applied it to the kid's injuries.

"Did they have a knife?" He asked assessing the damage.

"One of them pulled it out at the last minute," Max confessed. He winced when Ren touched him with the cloth but took his treatment otherwise.

"It sounds like this happens a lot," Ren said while continuing his ministrations.

"It happens to a lot of kids in my neighborhood. It's nothing new or special. That's why I keep saying it's not a big deal because it's not," Max said trying to brush off any concern.

Ren finished with the wounds he could see and pulled back to look at the kid. "You know Kyoko isn't going to accept that answer. What happened?"

"It was just some stupid kids trying to get my wallet," Max told him. "It's nothing new."

"Max," Ren said sternly. "It's not okay for you to be getting beat up on a regular basis."

"What am I supposed to do? If I run, I'm labeled a coward and just get beat up another time. When I fight back, I lose. There is no other option but to get beat up," Max said frustrated.

"Why do you lose?" Ren asked him calmly.

"What do you mean why? Isn't it obvious? I'm small for my age, am often outnumbered, and I suck at fighting," Max said almost yelling.

"The only part of your statement that matters is your skill at fighting and that can be changed," Ren told him.

"Oh yeah, Einstein? And how do I do that?" Max was frustrated over Ren's calm and expecting demeanor.

"You find someone to teach you," Ren told him.

"And who's going to teach me?" Max said rolling his eyes. "Especially since I have no money to pay."

"That's easy. I can teach you," Ren said.

Max gave him a look of disbelief. "You? What do you know about self defense?" Max asked.

Ren cocked an eyebrow and grinned at the kid in front of him. "I am a detective you know. I have basic self defense training. And beyond that, my father trained me in martial arts. I know quite a bit."

"Really?" Max said looking intrigued.

"Really," Ren said with a chuckle. "I could teach you a few things to avoid getting another black eye. I imagine your mother's not going to be happy at the sight of you. She's probably going to put up a bigger fuss than Kyoko did."

Max groaned at the truth of his words. "She hates seeing me all beat up."

"So why don't we take steps to avoid that?" Ren told him.

"You'd really teach me?" Max asked looking unsure.

"Yeah, I don't like seeing you beat up. And basic self defense is good for everyone to learn," Ren responded.

Max looked at the ground for a few moments before responding. "Alright, I'll take you up on your offer. But just us. I don't want Kyoko seeing you make a fool of me as I learn."

Ren chuckled again. "I can agree to that.

* * *

A/N:

I'm posting a day early because I won't have the opportunity to do so tomorrow. I don't know if I'll be able to post next week since I will be starting school. It'll depend on what my free time looks like. I'll mark in my profile that next Friday is the tentative date for the next chapter. If Friday comes around and I have nothing to post, I'll update my profile with details. You can also drop in discord and ask me about it.

Noveisadoge asked about why this story isn't listed as supernatural. I gathered opinions in Discord and everyone seems to agree it would make sense. So I've updated that in the story details. I didn't do it originally because I wasn't sure if that was this story's second strongest trait.

Zerely made a comment about the grudge demons becoming a living mobile for the baby. It's a pretty awesome idea.

Thanks for reading and all your comments!

-Besma0003


	35. Mad Cat

Kyoko sat on the toilet with the seat down as she waited for the two males in her apartment to finish what they were doing. _I can't believe him! Why does he keep acting like getting bullied is okay? _

Her leg was shaking up and down in her frustration. She was preparing a long speech to give Max when she heard Jack give a warning growl followed by hissing and commotion on the other side of the bathroom door.

She stood up and opened the door to a scene of chaos. Ren was in her bedroom area, presumably on his way to get her, and Jack was attacking him. For some reason, the cat was mad with anger and batting at Ren wildly. Ren was backing up further and further into the living room trying to get away from Jack.

"Jack!" Kyoko yelled as she ran to her cat to try to pull him off of Ren. She hesitated as she got close. She would likely get scratched in the process. Jack wasn't seeing anything at this point. He was acting on pure anger.

After taking the moment to steady herself, she lunged at her orange furball trying to grab him. He turned his anger on her and scratched at her face before running around the room like a bullet.

Max jumped over the couch to get out of his way as he ran around. Jack sped over Kyoko's bed tearing up her blanket with his claws. She flinched at the sound of ripping. Jack jumped off of her bed straight into the bathroom causing a commotion of noise of Kyoko's toiletries getting knocked around. Max raced for the bathroom door and closed the mad cat in.

He turned slowly and leaned against the door behind him. "That was intense," he stated to the quiet room.

"I've never seen him act like that," Kyoko responded trying to figure out what could have possibly made her normally chill cat lose his mind like that.

"I've seen a cat do this once," Max said looking at her. "A dog wandered into its space. It went wild with rage and even attacked other cats in its confusion. But there are no dogs here."

"What happened before he flipped out? I heard him give a warning growl," Kyoko said looking back and forth between Max and Ren.

"Ren was coming over to the bathroom to let you know we were done. The cat growled and then attacked from your bed," Max told her.

"It was my fault," Ren said from behind her. "I didn't stop walking when he growled to figure out that he was upset at my presence...Kyoko, you're bleeding." Ren said in shock looking at her.

She felt a warm liquid travel down her cheek as Ren mentioned blood. She touched her face with her hand and brought it away to see the smear of blood across her fingers. "Oh," she said registering her wound.

Ren grabbed the peroxide and a paper towel to clean her wound. "Let me see," he told her grabbing her chin with one hand and dabbing her cheek with a towel in the other.

The position forced Kyoko to look at Ren's face while he treated her. His hair was dark brown with bangs hanging over his forehead as his eyes focused on her cheek. Eyes that matched his hair color and contrasted well his light skin tone that looked impossibly smooth. Her eyes trailed down to his lips. She moistened her own lips as she contemplated momentarily what his lips might taste like. The same lips that were repeatedly tasting the top of her head and hands a couple of weeks ago at the ball.

"You don't have to spend forever cleaning such a small scratch. You can let go of her now," Max said from beside them. He walked over to them without her realizing it.

"Yes, it's clean, but you should probably hold a cloth to it until the bleeding stops," Ren told her straightening up stiffly. Kyoko turned away from both of them to avoid having her face seen which she was sure was blushing profusely.

"How bad is it?" She asked them after taking a moment to control her emotions and turning back to them.

"It's just a minor scratch," Max told her shaking his head. "It should stop bleeding quickly."

"How about you, Ren? You were the one he was attacking," Kyoko asked him concerned he might be seriously injured.

Ren shook his head in response. "I'm fine. He was attacking my legs and feet which were protected by pants and shoes. He's claws didn't reach my skin."

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief at his words. "Thank goodness. I don't want him hurting people."

"It really was my fault. Don't blame him for his actions," Ren told her. "He gave me a warning, and I ignored it."

"Even so, he shouldn't get upset at having other people in the apartment. He didn't attack Max last time or Rika and Kanae when they came over," Kyoko said realizing he'd been happy to have guests before.

"My scent must just really offend him," Ren said shrugging his shoulders.

"I guess," Kyoko responded still confused at the situation.

"So any news about your stalker?" Max asked changing the subject.

Kyoko was about to answer when she realized what he was doing. "Hold on a second," she said putting her hand up. "You still have some explaining to do." She glared daggers at him as she spoke.

"Um, well…" Max stumbled to answer.

"Don't worry," Ren said from behind her. "We've got the situation figured out."

Kyoko turned to look at Ren with skepticism all over her face.

"What? You don't trust me?" He asked her innocently.

Kyoko stared for another minute before putting her hands up in defeat. "Fine, you guys don't have to tell me what you talked about. But I will say this," she said turning to Max. "If I find you beat up one more time, I WILL get an explanation," she told him.

"Yes, ma'am," Max responded quickly.

"In reference to your stalker, I should check with the patrol to see if they have any information on him," Ren said heading for the door. "I'll do a walk through the building as well."

Kyoko nodded at his words as Ren walked out of her apartment closing the door behind him.

"You two are laying on the act of dating pretty thick, aren't you?" Kyoko turned to see Max scowling at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked him confused.

"I mean, I know you have to act like a couple for the sake of the stalker, but he can't see you in here. No need to keep up the act behind closed doors," Max told her while scoffing.

She arched an eyebrow at his teenage behavior trying to figure it out. "We weren't acting. We did nothing to look like a couple."

"Oh, really? What do you call gazing lovingly into each other's eyes?" He asked her folding his arms.

"Gazing lovingly?" Kyoko thought back to the moment when Ren held her chin to treat the cut on her cheek. She felt her cheeks warm at the memory of his intense gaze on her face. "He was just treating my wound!" Kyoko told Max pushing the memory out of her head.

"That's not what it looked like," Max said as if there was something she wasn't acknowledging.

"Why are we even having this discussion?" Kyoko said in her frustration as she brought her hand to cover her eyes. "We aren't actually dating. I have no desire to date anyone." She told him.

"Really?" Max said perking up in cheerfulness.

Kyoko brought her hand down from her eyes to look in confusion at the sudden change in demeanor of the teenager before her. _Why does he care so much? _"Really," she affirmed.

"Well, now that that's settled. Shall we check on Jack?" He asked her walking over to the bathroom door with a pep in his step.

…_.teenagers…._ Kyoko thought as she shook her head and followed him.

There were no sounds coming from the other side of the door. She walked up beside Max to open the door. She opened it slowly and peered in through the side to make sure he was calmed down before opening the door wide.

The scene she found surprised her so much she opened the door all the way for Max to see in too. Jack laid on the toilet seat with his tail twitching back and forth as his eyes were half-closed in contentment.

* * *

Ren roamed the halls of Kyoko's building to calm down more than anything. He was on his second lap around the building at this point. He already spoke to the patrol. There was no sign of the stalker today.

It was a dangerous moment earlier. He might have kissed her if Max didn't interrupt them. She was so captivating he wasn't able to pull away. Her cheeks were pink. From his peripheral vision he was watching her golden-brown eyes inspect his face. Initially, she was looking at his hair and eyes, but then her sight traveled down his face to his lips. He watched her lick her lips as she focused on his lips.

That alone was enough to drive him mad with desire, but there was more. Her scent enveloped them preventing reason from intruding on their space. When she licked her lips, he felt her breath on his face.

He was about to do something he would regret when Max stepped up. _Thank God, the kid was there. _Kissing her on the lips was out of the question. He had fun kissing flirtatiously at the ball, but he couldn't do anything more than that.

She was the mother of his child, and she was in danger thanks to him. The closer she got to him, the worse her life would be. Distance was best.

Ren finished his second lap around the building feeling confident that his desires were once more under control. He walked over to Kyoko's door and knocked. Kyoko called for him to come in, and he opened the door. Kyoko and Max were sitting on the couch laughing about something.

"And then he laid on my chest with that same look on his face! As if saying, 'I've found my seat. You must accommodate!'" Kyoko and Max roared with laughter at her words.

"What's going on?" He asked confused at the joke.

"Stay there," Kyoko said suddenly putting her hand up signaling to Ren to not walk any closer. She pointed down to her lap where Jack was laying comfortably. "He's calmed down, but I don't want to take the chance he gets riled up again," she told him.

Ren nodded in understanding. He didn't want to be attacked again either. With the turmoil of holding Kyoko's face, he forgot about the incident that caused her scratch.

"The patrol had no knew news about the stalker. He's been out of sight." Ren told her as Kyoko nodded her understanding. "It's probably best that I go. Cats have a tendency not to like me. I'm sure he would get excited again if I stayed," he told her.

"That's too bad. Cats are great companions. I wish you could enjoy their company. Max, why don't you let Ren bring you home?" Kyoko said looking to Max.

"Why?" Max said defensively.

"Because it's getting late, you'll get home faster, and you won't have to pay bus fare," she said succinctly.

"Alright," Max grumbled as he got up. He walked over to Ren to head out the door.

"Kyoko, be sure to let the officers outside know if you come in contact with your stalker. And I'll be picking up my new phone after I drop Max off. So you'll be able to reach me too," Ren told her. He wanted to make sure he heard about any incidents that put her in danger.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know if something comes up," she said smiling over to him.

"Good," he said nodding to her. "Have a good night." He walked out of the apartment with Max after saying his own goodnight.

* * *

When Ren and Max were gone for a full minute from her apartment, Kyoko threw Jack off of her, with much protests from him, and threw herself on the bed. "Oh my God!" She moaned. She almost gave in to her desires and kissed Ren.

She would have made a fool of herself. Ren didn't see her that way. He was a gentleman who made all women in his presence feel safe, secure, and beautiful. She had no business getting fanciful ideas in her head. Plus, she didn't want them.

Love made her do stupid things. If she was to behave smartly, love couldn't be part of the equation. Ren, with his luscious red lips and gorgeous brown locks, needed to get out of her head!

* * *

Ren sighed as he got out of the shower. He was going to put comfortable clothes on then head back out. It was guard duty for him again. That's what it would take for him to protect Kyoko.

He found sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. His garment bag was already full of clothes for work tomorrow. All he had to do was head back out to his post where he would keep watch and practice his shifting. He felt close to making progress.

But first, stopping to get some energy drinks would be a good idea.

* * *

I'm lucky I'm able to get this out today. My computer failed while doing an update and is now as the repair shop. Thankfully, I wrote this chapter directly on google docs and am able to access the chapter from my husband's laptop. Normally I write it on my computer than transfer to google docs. I got suuuppppeeerrr lucky.

School is going well so far. It's definitely going to be time consuming. But having something to focus on gives me more energy to write believe it or not. I think I'll be able to maintain weekly updates for the most part.

Thanks for reading and all you're lovely comments!

-Besma0003


	36. Meditation

Ren sat in the cold night air meditating on his Sacred Beast identity trying to gain familiarity with it to improve his shifting ability. Thankfully, the cold wasn't distracting but was refreshing after being in buildings all day that were set to temperatures comfortable to humans. With his body heat higher than average, he was sometimes uncomfortable in warmer settings.

The cold air felt like a fresh breeze after a hot, summer day. He could hear the sounds of city nightlife around him. The business of city life was distracting when he first moved here but now he felt calm as he listened to it. Cars driving around sounded like a pleasant hum and conversations going on in different places, none of which he could fully make out, made him feel not alone in the world. The different aromas that wafted up to him carried the sense of life. The scent of his metal perch spoke of human ingenuity. Food smells coming from different restaurants brought the diversity of life straight to his nose. Even the scent of humans, some with too much perfume, others not well bathed, was comforting.

As the sounds and smells soothed him, he kept his eyes closed so that his sight was turned inward. Meditating on his Sacred Beast self was an unusual experience. It was a technique his father taught him growing up. Running to shift was an easy way to learn to get the basics down. But mediating to shift provided mastery over self. He could feel two essences inside of him. They weren't separate from each other. They existed in a round-robin sort of way. He had a human identity and a Sacred Beast identity. It took both to complete him. Without the human part, he would be like Rick: a beast with no real sense of right or wrong. Without the Sacred Beast part, he would be a normal human.

It took mastery over both essences to shift at will. Even though he stayed in his human form 24/7, his understanding of his human self was little better than of his Sacred Beast self. Neglecting meditation left him heavily handicapped in his abilities. Once he understood his body and mind better, he would be able to use certain aspects of being a Sacred Beast without fully shifting.

The ability he was looking forward to was the gift of sight. He used human eyes to see the world, but he could use Sacred Beast eyes while in human form. His Sacred Beast vision was more attuned to the supernatural and might be able to pick up some clues on Rick. Mastering his eyes was his first priority.

"_She wasn't looking in your eyes, you know," Max told him in the passenger seat of his car as Ren drove him home._

"_Sorry?" Ren asked caught off guard by the statement. Up to this point, they were both silent since leaving Kyoko's apartment. _

"_Kyoko. She wasn't looking at your eyes when you were cleaning her face," Max reiterated sounding like he needed to defend her._

I know, _Ren thought as he recalled the moment he held her face. She may have started looking at his eyes, but her sight definitely trailed to his lips. "Why do you say that?" Ren asked trying to figure out why it mattered to the kid. _

"_She doesn't want a relationship with anybody," Max said as if that explained everything. _

Well, that's good for me. I don't want one either._ "Good for her," Ren said out loud. "She doesn't have to be in a relationship if she doesn't want to be."_

"_You're okay with that?" Max asked sounding skeptical._

"_Why wouldn't I be?" Ren asked surprised._

"_Well, I thought….you know," Max said not finishing his sentence._

"_That what?" Ren didn't understand what the kid was trying to get at. _

"_You know….that you want to date her," Max finally said quietly._

"_Ah," Ren said remembering that Max had a bit of a crush on Kyoko. "No, I don't want to date her," he said truthfully. He found her incredibly attractive and was drawn to her, but he had no interest in dating her. It was too dangerous for her and he didn't deserve to live a life of happiness after Rick's happiness was ripped from him._

"_Good," Max said from beside him._

_Max didn't speak for the rest of the trip home. Ren couldn't help but grin at how obvious he was about his feelings. Although, he didn't think Kyoko had picked up on it yet. _

Ren was grinning again at the memory. It popped into his head as he thought about shifting just his eyes.

He thought Max was a good kid with a bright future. Teaching him basic self-defense would be fun. It would be like having a little brother to rough house with. They still needed to make concrete plans of when to meet up, but they would figure it out.

After spending most of the night focused on his eyes, Ren switched his focus to his whole body. While shifting just a sense was easier, he needed to practice everything at once too. His mind focused on his Sacred Beast essence, imagined it in the core of his chest, and slowly spreading to the rest of his body evenly. Once he imagined his essence spread to every inch of his body, he opened his eyes to realize he was shifted as a Sacred Beast.

He was so shocked he lost concentration and immediately changed back into human form. The empty energy drinks clattered around him as he fell to the side in his shock. _Shit!_ He thought as he scrambled to grab the cans to prevent them from clanging against the metal frame of the fire escape. He laid motionless after grabbing all the cans listening for any signs that someone might have woken up and heard him. His breathing sounded absurdly loud in the quiet of the early morning.

He sighed in relief as it seemed that nobody noticed him. His shirt was ruined from successfully shifting but his sweatpants were able to give enough for the change in his body. He climbed down the stairs shirtless and headed for his car. Thankfully, he had clothes already prepared to change into.

* * *

Sorry for the late update. I was so tired after class yesterday I just passed out forgetting all about this update.

Unfortunately, chapters are probably going to be shorter now.

Thanks for reading and all of your comments!

-Besma0003


	37. Prenatal

Week 14

_A dagger pressed against her throat. She could feel a warm drip coming from where the knife already cut her. The rest of the room was freezing. She had goosebumps on her arms from the low temperature and she could see her breath. _

_Thunder clapped outside the window at the same time the night sky lit up. Rain pelted the windows like a beating drum. _

_The knife against her throat was suddenly attached to a hand that led back to a person. The look on his face was almost demonic. His long black hair that was tied back swayed back and forth behind him. His tongue licked his lips as he stared at her bringing his face closer until their noses were almost touching. _

_The smell coming from his mouth was foul. It wreaked of alcohol and cigarettes. She felt a finger caress her cheek as he stared into her eyes. _

_In her terror, Kyoko realized the man was familiar but she couldn't quite place him. As her mind was struggling to place where she'd seen the man, he was ripped from her sight. Even the dagger at her neck was gone. _

_She gulped deep breaths as she realized she was breathing lightly before trying to avoid being cut while the knife was pressed against her. She looked around looking for her attacker. The air in the room was hazy and murky. Nothing was clearly visible. _

_She stumbled around trying to understand the sights in front of her. It looked like she was in her room. She saw a shape with colors that looked like her bed. On the other side of the room was a couch and kitchen area like her apartment. Everything was just so dark and trying to concentrate on objects made her feel dizzy._

_From behind, strong hands clasped her shoulders. They turned her around to look at her attacker. Kyoko spun expecting to see the man from earlier. Instead, she looked into a known, gentle face: Ren. Upon recognizing his face, she realized the hands on her shoulders felt like a warm fire. It heated her body in this cold, dank room. _

_Tears filled her eyes as she reached out to Ren pulling him into a hug. His arms embraced her back as she shivered slowly being warmed by his body heat. _

_When the shivers from the cold and fears were over, Ren pulled away just enough to be able to look into her eyes. He gently grabbed her chin as he brought his lips down to meet hers in a gentle peck that lasted only a moment. His eyes stared into hers as he held her._

_Kyoko touched his cheek to show her return affection. She loved looking up into his green eyes. _Green? Aren't Ren's eyes brown?

_As she stared, his dark brown hair turned blonde starting from the roots. After the color fully spread, he looked like a completely different person. "Ren?" Kyoko stated cautiously wondering if he really was the same person. _

_Her only response was a mischievous smile as he picked her up bringing her over to her bed. In his arms, the fuzziness of the room cleared. The air was no longer hazy and murky. If she wanted to, she could look at everything clearly._

_But she didn't. The clear objects in her room faded to the background as she stared at the man who laid her down on the bed. She used her hand on the back of his neck to pull herself up to kiss him. He hungrily kissed back placing a hand on her cheek caressing with his thumb. _

_Kyoko joyfully gave herself to the moment exploring his body with her hands and moaning in delight as he explored hers. _

_Ren took off her shirt after removing his own then struggled with the clasp on her bra. Kyoko giggled at his confusion over the contraption. As he worked on unhooking her bra, Kyoko reached out to touch his bare chest and traveled her fingers down to his belt buckle. She grabbed the clasp…_

"UGH!" Kyoko yelped as a heavy mass landed on her chest. Her eyes opened to see Jack sitting there. "Jack!" She yelled as she pushed him off trying to catch her breath. He was so heavy he knocked the wind out of her!…Well, the dream she was having when he woke her up might have something to do with her fast breathing as well.

Kyoko's temperature rose as she recalled her dream in vivid detail. _What am I doing thinking of him like that!? _Ren had no interest in her like that and she didn't want him to. Love was trouble. It was best avoided. Yes, he was incredibly handsome, but that didn't mean she had to fall in love with him.

She got out of bed to take a cold shower and get ready. Best to put the dream behind her and not dwell. It was just a dream after all.

Kyoko had a prenatal appointment this morning. Ren was going to drive her and then they would head to the pawnshop to look for more clues on Rick.

She didn't want Ren to drive her, even more so after that dream. She felt embarrassed to have him involved with anything regarding her pregnancy. It made her feel too dependent on him and like a burden. Plus, it was a very personal affair. While he seemed interested in knowing about what was going on with her, she felt it was none of his business.

But circumstances as they were, the whole killer after her thing, a stalker, and the fact that they work together, made Ren giving her a ride the logical option.

She was just going to have to deal with her discomfort.

Their new morning routine was for Ren to come to her apartment and walk her out in case her stalker was lying in wait somewhere. Again, Kyoko felt way too dependent on Ren. It was frustrating that she was unable to take care of herself.

She waited, sitting on her bed petting Jack. It wasn't long before there was a knock on her door. Jack hissed from next to her at the sound of the knock, got up, turned his butt to the door, and laid back down.

"I guess that tells me who it is," she chuckled as she got up and opened the door. Ren stood before her looking handsome as always but also exhausted. Throughout the week, Kyoko was noticing bags forming under his eyes. It seemed like they got darker each day.

"You should make sure you check who's on the other side of the door before you open it," he told her patronizing.

"Jack informed me it was you," she said scowling. "I can trust him." Kyoko brushed by him to head into the hallway to go downstairs. _It's not my business if he's getting enough sleep. Especially if he thinks I need to be lectured about every little thing. I may not be able to physically defend myself against those after me, but I'm smart enough to make sure I know who's on the other side of the door!_

They reached the car and climbed in. "So a prenatal appointment today, right?" Ren asked her.

"Yup," Kyoko responded looking out her window away from Ren. _He knows I have an appointment today. We made plans to get it out of the way first._

"Is something wrong?" Ren asked. She finally turned to look over at him and her breath caught in her throat at his puppy dog eyes.

"It's nothing," she said turning back to her window abruptly. It was her own feelings of inadequacy that were making her moody. It was nothing for him to be concerned about.

"Okay," he said sounding confused.

* * *

Kyoko walked into Dr. Wood's office still feeling moody. She was annoyed at Ren, but more frustrated at her own helplessness. She hated that she needed his help to do everything. _Is there some way to not need him? Some way to gain back my independence?_

She didn't like being so close to him all the time. It resulted in incidents like last night where she wanted to kiss him... and the following dream. On top of that, she was feeling even more pathetic than when she was dating Sho. He may have treated her poorly, but at least she had a choice in the matter. Because her safety was in question, she didn't have many choices these days. It was stifling and damaging to her self confidence.

Dr. Woods walked into the room Kyoko was waiting in. The woman was as cheery as always. "Good morning, dear. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Kyoko told her. Dr. Woods gave her a doubtful look.

"Uh-huh. I believe that about as much as I believe I could breathe in outer space," Dr. Woods responded maintaining her doubtful look.

Kyoko sighed in response. "I'm just frustrated about having to have a babysitter all the time. If it's not the patrol, it's Ren. I've completely lost my freedom."

Dr. Woods took a seat as she contemplated Kyoko's words. "You're getting a double whammy," she told Kyoko. "You're pregnant. So you're gradually going to start losing independence as you progress and your body loses some of its strength. Plus, you've been attacked and need to be kept safe from a repeat incident."

"And I have a stalker which heightens the protective circle around me," Kyoko told her.

"That one I didn't know about," Dr. Woods said raising her eyebrows.

"I don't get where all this fuss is coming from, honestly," Kyoko confessed. "I'm not anyone special. Why are Ren and everyone else going to such great lengths to protect me?" Every time she thought about it she felt confused. It seemed like a lot of fuss over a random girl who had sex with a random guy.

"Kyoko, Ren and everyone he works with took an oath to defend those in need. You are very much in need at this moment. And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it mentioned you were only abducted because of your connection to Ren? Doesn't that make him responsible for your safety?" Dr. Woods asked.

"It's not his fault some wacko abducted me. Even if the guy did it because of our connection, Ren has no control over what another person chooses to do," Kyoko responded frustrated at the idea that Ren owed her anything. He was doing so much for her. She was the one who owed him and she couldn't fathom how she could possibly pay him back for all the trouble she was causing him.

Dr. Woods smiled at her as she said gently, "you should tell him that."

Kyoko looked at Dr. Woods not liking the idea. "I'll pass. It doesn't matter anyway. I have no control over the situation. It is what it is."

"I disagree. You have more control over what happens to you than you think. If you talk things through with Ren, you might be able to find a way to regain some of the independence you want," Dr. Woods said pulling out the baby doppler. "For now, why don't we check on that baby?"

Dr. Woods did all the routine checks of the fetus. Everything was normal and fine.

"Dr. Woods?" Kyoko asked hesitantly afterward.

"Yes, dear? And call me Jelly," she responded.

"Um, Jelly, I am concerned about something," Kyoko told her.

"What is it, dear?" Jelly asked.

"The baby….is it possible it's supernatural?" Kyoko asked bashfully. "I know it's a stupid thought," she said suddenly rushing with her words. "Someone just said to me recently they didn't think the baby was human and that I should abort it."

Jelly raised her eyebrows at Kyoko's words. "Who would dare say such a thing?"

"Someone who claims to have supernatural abilities," Kyoko confessed fighting back tears over her fears.

"I don't know if this person is truthful in his words about himself, but I can say without a doubt there is nothing abnormal about your pregnancy. It is progressing as it should be. The baby is healthy and certainly not dangerous," Jelly told Kyoko as she wrapped her in a hug. "You don't need to worry about anything."

Kyoko embraced Jelly back appreciating the comfort the physical contact was giving her. "Are you sure? I mean, Corn is real. Is it possible I had sex with some magical being?" Kyoko asked needing to be certain her fears were completely groundless.

"Kyoko," Jelly said pulling out of the hug to stare into Kyoko's eyes while she kept her hands on the girl's shoulders. "You had sex with a man. From the sounds of it, someone who was feeling as desperate as you were. You two took comfort in each other. There's no reason to believe anything more is going on here."

Kyoko nodded her hand in understanding. "Good. Now, I'd like to discuss with you what's going to happen with your pregnancy until you come in again." Jelly returned to her seat to continue the conversation. "Don't be surprised if you start feeling a higher sex drive. You have more blood pumping through your body."

Kyoko remembered the dream she woke up to. Her cheeks warmed remembering the heat, passion, and desire.

"I see you've already noticed some of that," Jelly said smiling knowingly. "It's normal and healthy. Especially with such a handsome man constantly by your side."

Kyoko was sure she must look like a tomato. Jelly knew exactly who her fantasies were about.

"As I said, it's normal and healthy. Nothing to be ashamed about," Jelly said still smiling. "You're also going to start showing very soon. There's already a little bump, but anyone not familiar with your stomach won't be able to notice."

Kyoko refrained from groaning out loud and did it inwardly instead. The part she was most anxious about was coming soon: everyone knowing. Ren's words echoed in her mind _"So why worry about what others are thinking? You'll work hard if they think well of you and work hard if they don't. Their thoughts are irrelevant."_ His comment was of great comfort. He was right. What others thought had no bearing on how she conducted herself. She only needed to worry about herself.

"Kyoko? Did you hear me?" Jelly asked puling Kyoko out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought," Kyoko admitted.

"That's fine. I was saying you might start to get clumsy thanks to the hormone relaxin. It's going to start relaxing the ligaments around your pelvis. In addition, you might get what's fondly, or not so fondly, referred to as pregnancy brain. Basically, you'll easily forget information and struggle to stay focused. Each woman experiences these effects to different degrees. If it seems excessive, let me know. But it is normal."

Jelly took a break in her parade of information to give Kyoko a chance to digest it. But there was still more for Kyoko to know. "With your stomach starting to show, stretch marks will likely start forming. If you want to combat them, I recommend getting a stretch mark lotion and start applying it to your stomach and pelvis area. Even your sides and the top of your butt. The skin stretches everywhere to accommodate the rapidly growing child within. The most exciting thing that should happen before I see you again is you'll start to feel the baby move," Jelly said looking at her gently.

"The baby move?" Kyoko repeated quietly. She knew it was going to happen eventually, but that seemed so soon! And she didn't know how she felt about it. What was it going to feel like? Would she be happy about it? Would it be uncomfortable? The idea made her very confused.

"It's okay to not know how to feel about it," Jelly said reading her emotions on her face. "You'll figure it out as you go along. Those are all the things that are likely to start happening over the next month. If you start to develop other symptoms or any of those become too much to handle, let me know."

Kyoko nodded her understanding. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Ren waited anxiously outside of the OBGYN office for Kyoko. He didn't want to wait in the lobby. It was an office for women and he felt like he was intruding staying in there. There was a bench just outside that provided a good seat for him.

His leg was shaking in his excitement to know something. He pulled out his new phone and texted Jelly.

((Ren: How is it going? Is the baby fine?)) He waited anxiously staring at his phone.

Five agonizing minutes went by before his phone bussed with a response.

((Jelly Woods: Patient confidentiality, dear. If you want to know something, ask her yourself.))

Ren groaned at the response. He knew that was the right thing to do and that it was an invasion of Kyoko's privacy to go behind her back to learn about her and the baby. But she was so prickly this morning. He didn't think she would tell him if he asked. Especially since in her eyes, he had no right to know and no reason to know.

The idea that he had a child was still overwhelming but in an exciting kind of way. Plus, plans were being made for his parents to care for the child. He didn't have to worry about being an actual parent.

Kyoko walked out of the building as he was contemplating that thought. He quickly stood up and walked over to her. "Did everything go well?" Was all he had the courage to ask.

"It was fine," Kyoko told him as she headed for the car. She was clearly absorbed in her thoughts. _I wish I knew what was said in there._

They got in the car and started heading for the pawnshop. Just as Ren was giving up on working up the courage to ask for more details, Kyoko spoke up.

"Jelly said she's positive there's nothing wrong with the baby and nothing supernatural to be concerned about," she said without looking at him.

"Good," Ren said sighing with relief. Hopefully, that was one less thing for Kyoko to worry about. _Thanks, Ms. Woods for providing the assurance I can't._

* * *

A/N:

Wednesdays are going to be my new posting day. I've been writing faithfully on Wednesdays for the past few weeks but finding time for editing and adding extra parts to the chapter have been a challenge. For example, Kyoko's dream was not in the rough draft.

So I'm going to write a rough draft one week, edit and post the next. Meaning new chapters will be every other week. It's possible that there will be times for chapters to get posted on the off weeks if there isn't a lot of editing needed. Don't expect that for next week, :). Expect the next chap on October 14th.

I keep forgetting to mention this but Under the Rain is officially a year old. It turned one on Sep 20th.

Thank you for sticking with me on this long journey and reading Under the Rain. I love all your comments and always reread them before posting the next chapter.

-Besma0003


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